Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-01-19-Speech-2-128"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20100119.7.2-128"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, Commissioner Ashton, ladies and gentlemen, I think it is very important for the European Parliament to take the opportunity offered by this debate with a view to the March elections in Iraq.
The Iraqi political process has shown itself to be important – even if, as you were saying, interesting – but still very fragile. It is thus even more important to do everything possible to consolidate and strengthen the country’s new institutions and the political equilibrium which sustains them. We believe this to be a vital objective if we wish the first substantial withdrawal of US troops to occur in August without it having serious consequences on the country’s internal situation.
The coexistence of Shi’ites, Sunnis and Kurds which is today embodied in the federal structures should be guaranteed by new laws, as well as by a political consensus involving all these parties. On this point, concerns are being aroused – and we would also like your view on this – by the electoral commission’s recent decision to bar many candidates and parties with close links to Sunnis or Christians, thus running the risk of weakening the already fragile democratic process in Iraq.
Through the measures undertaken, the European Union must follow this electoral process, as you have said, but also be more ambitious in the development of relations with Iraq. The Union’s EUJUST LEX programme directly involves us in the process of improving Iraqi legislation and democratic institutions, and we, the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, consider it a positive sign that the Council has decided to extend the mission until 30 August 2010.
The EU should continue to maintain strong support for Iraq through its cooperation programmes, with the aim of participating in the process to stabilise and develop the country, and after the elections, it should strengthen relations between the parliaments. It should be remembered that many Member States are working with Iraq, including Italy, with the important cultural cooperation programme.
Iraq’s political equilibrium is essential not only for the country but also in terms of the role that Iraq can play in the region strategically, with the aim of overcoming existing conflicts and securing peace. In this sense, the improvement of relations with Turkey by the regional government of Kurdistan constitutes a positive step in that direction.
However, as we know, Iraq remains a country with very serious problems in relation to security, respect for democracy and human rights, as well as economic insecurity. It is the most vulnerable groups, such as refugees – forming 10% of the population – ethnic minorities, women, religious minorities and children who are suffering the negative impact of this situation.
We must therefore play a still more incisive role in this area – I am just finishing – partly through support for local and European NGOs working in Iraq and, in this regard, women can also be involved as strategic figures to overcome some of the population’s difficulties."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples