Saturday, March 10, 2007
Al-Maliki urges security conference delegates not to pursue differences
Politics, Security, International
(Reuters) Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a regional conference in Baghdad on Saturday that national reconciliation was crucial to saving his country and urged key players not to use Iraq to play out their differences. "The reconciliation initiative is the ship that will save us," Maliki said in his opening speech to delegates to the regional conference, attended by deputy foreign ministers and other such officials from Iran, Syria and the United States.
"Iraq with its strategic location, must be seen as a key factor and an important player in the regional and international field," Maliki said. "We ... demand that regional or international states refrain from interfering or influencing the Iraqi state of affairs through supporting a certain sect, ethnicity or party," Maliki said in the written copy of a speech to delegates.
Maliki also called on officials from regional and world powers to pursue dialogue to settle disputes over Iraq.
"We call for peaceful dialogue to settle disputes, including the international, regional, inter-regional issues," Maliki told delegates to a regional conference in Baghdad, including deputy foreign ministers and other officials from Iran, Syria and the United States. In his speech, Maliki also demanded to see a "unified regional and international stand in support of the Iraqi people ... with no distinction along sectarian lines.
The one-day conference brings together mid-level officials from Iraq's neighbors, the permanent U.N. Security Council members -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- and Arab countries. There will be 16 delegations in all. But attention is likely to be focused on the United States sitting down with Syria and Iran, both accused by Washington of fuelling the Iraq war by supporting either Sunni insurgents or Shi'ite militias. Iran and Syria deny the charges.
Zebari said Iraq could also help bring foes together. "Despite Iraq's current difficulties, it is capable of helping its neighbors by providing this forum," he said. "It would have been extremely difficult to get this number of people in one room to sit together."
"Iraq with its strategic location, must be seen as a key factor and an important player in the regional and international field," Maliki said. "We ... demand that regional or international states refrain from interfering or influencing the Iraqi state of affairs through supporting a certain sect, ethnicity or party," Maliki said in the written copy of a speech to delegates.
Maliki also called on officials from regional and world powers to pursue dialogue to settle disputes over Iraq.
"We call for peaceful dialogue to settle disputes, including the international, regional, inter-regional issues," Maliki told delegates to a regional conference in Baghdad, including deputy foreign ministers and other officials from Iran, Syria and the United States. In his speech, Maliki also demanded to see a "unified regional and international stand in support of the Iraqi people ... with no distinction along sectarian lines.
The one-day conference brings together mid-level officials from Iraq's neighbors, the permanent U.N. Security Council members -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- and Arab countries. There will be 16 delegations in all. But attention is likely to be focused on the United States sitting down with Syria and Iran, both accused by Washington of fuelling the Iraq war by supporting either Sunni insurgents or Shi'ite militias. Iran and Syria deny the charges.
Zebari said Iraq could also help bring foes together. "Despite Iraq's current difficulties, it is capable of helping its neighbors by providing this forum," he said. "It would have been extremely difficult to get this number of people in one room to sit together."
Labels: Baghdad security conference
