Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Top diplomats arrive at Sharm el-Sheikh for Iraq conference
Conference, International
(AFP) - Top diplomats from around the world converged on the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday for the biggest diplomatic push to solve Iraq's woes since the 2003 invasion. Amid hopes the two days of high-level talks could help end the bloodshed in Iraq, speculation also abounded over the prospect of bilateral talks between the United States and Iran on the sidelines, the first in almost three decades.
On her way to Egypt, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the onus was on Iraq's neighbours to show their commitment to ending the violence, warning that their own stability was at stake. Completing a shift in US policy, Rice was expected to talk to Syria and Iran, who have been accused by Washington of funding and abetting Iraq's Sunni insurgency and Shiite militias respectively. A rumoured meeting with her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, would mark the first bilateral talks between the foes' top diplomats since the United States cut relations in 1980. However, Iran has yet to give an unequivocal sign it is ready for talks and Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostavafi said on Tuesday the conditions were not right for a "dialogue" with Rice at the conference.
In the run-up to the landmark conference, Western and regional leaders have hammered home the same message that Iraq's influential neighbours need to do their share. As preparatory consultations kicked off in Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh urged the international community to help rescue his country.
The Sharm el-Sheikh conference is the second attempt in two months to bring Iraq's neighbours together in a bid to reach a consensus on means of ending the carnage. In readiness for the 27 foreign ministers and 22 other delegations due to attend the talks, Egyptian police threw up a tight security cordon around the resort.
Rice was expected to arrive in Egypt later Wednesday. She was due to go straight into preliminary talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other officials.
The two-day conference starts in earnest on Thursday with the launch of the International Compact with Iraq (ICI), an initiative providing a framework for Iraq's security and economic development. US Treasury Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt said the talks would seek to achieve further debt relief for Iraq's embattled economy and set clear benchmarks for its increased integration. But he remained cautious on the results that could be expected from the talks.
On her way to Egypt, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the onus was on Iraq's neighbours to show their commitment to ending the violence, warning that their own stability was at stake. Completing a shift in US policy, Rice was expected to talk to Syria and Iran, who have been accused by Washington of funding and abetting Iraq's Sunni insurgency and Shiite militias respectively. A rumoured meeting with her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, would mark the first bilateral talks between the foes' top diplomats since the United States cut relations in 1980. However, Iran has yet to give an unequivocal sign it is ready for talks and Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostavafi said on Tuesday the conditions were not right for a "dialogue" with Rice at the conference.
In the run-up to the landmark conference, Western and regional leaders have hammered home the same message that Iraq's influential neighbours need to do their share. As preparatory consultations kicked off in Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh urged the international community to help rescue his country.
The Sharm el-Sheikh conference is the second attempt in two months to bring Iraq's neighbours together in a bid to reach a consensus on means of ending the carnage. In readiness for the 27 foreign ministers and 22 other delegations due to attend the talks, Egyptian police threw up a tight security cordon around the resort.
Rice was expected to arrive in Egypt later Wednesday. She was due to go straight into preliminary talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other officials.
The two-day conference starts in earnest on Thursday with the launch of the International Compact with Iraq (ICI), an initiative providing a framework for Iraq's security and economic development. US Treasury Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt said the talks would seek to achieve further debt relief for Iraq's embattled economy and set clear benchmarks for its increased integration. But he remained cautious on the results that could be expected from the talks.
Labels: Condoleezza Rice, International Compact with Iraq, Iraq, Manouchehr Mottaki, Sharm al-Sheikh Conference
