Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-06-Speech-3-009"
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"en.20050706.2.3-009"2
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".
Mr President, I should like to start by welcoming Mr Straw to the Presidency. I congratulate Mr Dimitrakopoulos warmly on his report. It is an excellent and timely report and gives us a good opportunity for an update on the intensive developments over the last few months. Iraq is still a huge and multiple challenge to all of us. It really is ‘work in progress’ and we have a lot to do there.
The forthcoming donor conference in Amman will then offer an opportunity for the Iraqis themselves to take the lead, based on the last conference in Brussels, in setting up a real donor coordination mechanism. They already announced it at the conference and we would like to work with them.
In addition to reconstruction aid, the international community also needs to do more to reduce or reschedule Iraq’s debts. The Commission will be pushing EU Member States on this, because we think it is fundamental.
It is a prerequisite that neighbouring countries especially contribute more and more, because they will really play a central role in shifting the balance in the region. These countries need the assistance and cooperation of their neighbours. The neighbours have made this commitment in principle, but now we have to see whether it can be put into practice.
Iraq is an extraordinary country with a great but turbulent past. It is now the inspiration for a new era of international cooperation. We know that the agenda that we have set out is very ambitious, but I think we can deliver if we just stay the course. The Iraqi people have shown tremendous courage and resilience, particularly in turning out in such large numbers to vote, but also in their everyday lives against a background of violence and intimidation. They deserve compassion, but also solidarity and financial and other assistance. That is what we have to do on moral and also political grounds.
Significant events have taken place, one of which was the troika visit to Iraq on 9 June, because we, the 25, showed that we are all united now in reconstructing and assisting Iraq. It was not easy, because there have been times when we have not been united. It was also very well received by the Iraqis themselves.
I also think it was very important that we had the international conference in Brussels. Many members of the Iraqi Government were present and they were able to present their ideas and wishes and suggest where we could assist them. The deplorable abduction of the Egyptian diplomat and other recent kidnappings have driven home to all of us the conditions under which people are living.
I decided, therefore, that the Commission should also have a presence in Baghdad and, as Mr Straw has already mentioned, we will be setting up a delegation. We will, of course, do that under the protection of the British and we hope that safety can be guaranteed as far as possible. We know it is not an easy undertaking, but I think it is important that politically we also show our flag and help the Iraqi people.
The situation in that country is still very difficult and I agree with Mr Dimitrakopoulos that ensuring military and civilian security must be the main priority of the new Iraqi administration. The only way to establish security is to address the underlying causes of the violent attacks by some sections of the Iraqi population. I see two concrete prerequisites for this. The first is an inclusive and broad-based constitution and the second is an environment in which reconstruction can bring visible improvements to the daily lives of the Iraqi people. I would even add that, thirdly, it is very important that neighbouring countries also contribute to more unity in the country and less conflict.
I shall say a few words about the new constitution. This must represent the interests of all Iraqis and was a central topic of our Iraq Conference in Brussels. It must be a product of inclusive, broad-based consultation and all Iraqis must feel it belongs to them, can protect them and guarantee their rights. The inclusion of Sunnis in the main drafting body is therefore a promising start, but, as we know, the process will not be easy. We in Europe know from our recent experience the myriad difficulties a constitution can pose and, by the way, we also discussed that very frankly with the Iraqis.
We are also ready to offer technical expertise if requested. We already provided technical expertise in the last elections, especially for the United Nations, and we have said that we will assist the United Nations experts again this time, especially with funding, but also by providing some of our own experts. Of course that always depends on whether the Iraqis want us to help.
We rely very much on the United Nations to advise the Iraqis on compliance with the principles of international law. Once the Constitution has been drafted and elections are scheduled, we also intend in principle to offer the Iraqis an election observation mission to oversee them, but it depends on the security situation. We have not yet taken a final decision on that.
The Iraqi people need to see concrete improvements in their everyday lives. Since 2003 we in the Commission have been working on health, education, basic needs, sanitation and water, and also on creating jobs, because what is most important is that people themselves are able to feed their families. Of the EUR 200 million committed we will soon have finalised EUR 145 million, to be channelled through the World Bank’s International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq to meet basic needs."@en1
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