Thursday, May 03, 2007
Iraq wins some debt relief at Sharm el-Sheikh
Conference
(Reuters) - Iraq won a trickle of debt relief pledges at a big international conference in Egypt on Thursday and the United States prepared for the highest-level contact with Syria in more than two years. Egypt and three East European countries agreed to waive debts owed by Iraq as part of an International Compact to support Iraqi institutions in exchange for political and economic reforms by the Baghdad government.
The first day of the two-day conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is dedicated to the International Compact, a five-year plan to restore stability and economic prosperity through national reconciliation. But much of the attention is on whether the United States will abandon its longstanding reluctance to hold high-level talks with the Iranian and Syrian governments, as recommended by the Baker-Hamilton commission on Iraq last year.
In his opening speech to the two days of meetings in Egypt, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appealed for debt relief. "We call on everybody participating in this conference to write off the accumulated debts of Iraq," he said. Iraq sits on the world's third-largest proven crude oil reserves but is struggling to rebuild after four years of war.
Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabor said the three Eastern European countries -- Slovenia, Bulgaria and Poland -- would agree to forgive 80 percent of Iraqi debt but did not say how much that would be. He said the European Union would grant Iraq $200 million, and he expected grants from some Asian countries as well. But James Dobbins, an analysts at the RAND Corporation, said debt relief was of secondary importance because the Iraqis are not paying off the money they owed anyway.
"It is a purely paper transaction. It's symbolic but it doesn't have any immediate effect," he said. Jabor said that Iraq had rejected as unacceptable an offer from Russia to forgive the debt it is owed by Baghdad in return for access to a major Iraqi oilfield. "The Russians are hesitant. They want investment in the Rumaila oilfield in return for eliminating the debt," he said. When Saudi Arabia announced last month that it was writing off 80 percent of the more than $15 billion it was owed by Iraq, Jabor estimated his country's debt at $140 billion.
The first day of the two-day conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is dedicated to the International Compact, a five-year plan to restore stability and economic prosperity through national reconciliation. But much of the attention is on whether the United States will abandon its longstanding reluctance to hold high-level talks with the Iranian and Syrian governments, as recommended by the Baker-Hamilton commission on Iraq last year.
In his opening speech to the two days of meetings in Egypt, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appealed for debt relief. "We call on everybody participating in this conference to write off the accumulated debts of Iraq," he said. Iraq sits on the world's third-largest proven crude oil reserves but is struggling to rebuild after four years of war.
Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabor said the three Eastern European countries -- Slovenia, Bulgaria and Poland -- would agree to forgive 80 percent of Iraqi debt but did not say how much that would be. He said the European Union would grant Iraq $200 million, and he expected grants from some Asian countries as well. But James Dobbins, an analysts at the RAND Corporation, said debt relief was of secondary importance because the Iraqis are not paying off the money they owed anyway.
"It is a purely paper transaction. It's symbolic but it doesn't have any immediate effect," he said. Jabor said that Iraq had rejected as unacceptable an offer from Russia to forgive the debt it is owed by Baghdad in return for access to a major Iraqi oilfield. "The Russians are hesitant. They want investment in the Rumaila oilfield in return for eliminating the debt," he said. When Saudi Arabia announced last month that it was writing off 80 percent of the more than $15 billion it was owed by Iraq, Jabor estimated his country's debt at $140 billion.
Labels: Bayan Jabor, Bulgaria, debt relief, Egypt, International Compact with Iraq, Poland, Rumaila field, Russia, Sharm al-Sheikh Conference, Slovenia
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
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Iraqi govt has high hopes for International Pact
Sharm el-Sheikh conference
(Voices of Iraq) - The Iraqi government hopes the International Pact with Iraq, to be announced next week, will become a turning point in Iraq's ties with the international community and help it obtain the financial and political support needed to achieve aspired to political, economic and security reforms. The pact is to be declared during the international conference that will coincide with the expanded ministerial meeting, on May 3-4, to be hosted by Egypt at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The outcome of a World Bank-backed joint Iraq-UN initiative, the pact was discussed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon during a visit to Baghdad last month. Kuwait hosted the high-level preparatory meeting on the international pact with Iraq on October 31, 2006, which was attended by representatives of 14 Arab and foreign countries, as well as international organizations.
The pact, which envisages a period of five years for re-building the war-scarred Iraq, was promoted by the UN chief who invited 100 countries and international finance organizations to contribute. Iraqi officials' statements ahead of the two meetings affirm a genuine inclination to break the political and economic isolation of their country.
The Iraqi government hopes "this pact will act as a roadmap towards (restoring) Iraq's stability and turn it into a secure federal, democratic and united country that depends on market economy," Iraqi Deputy Premier Dr. Burham Saleh said. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari said Iraq, during the two forthcoming conferences, will put participating countries before their responsibilities in order to stop the deterioration of security in Iraq and to contribute to its reconstruction and economy.
On the energy sector, Saleh said "the government has ambitious programs to increase oil production from the 2.4 million barrels per day (bpd) at present to 4.2 million bpd in 2010 and 6 million bpd in 2012. The government will take steps to improve the investment climate and develop the private sector to prepare for merging Iraq into the regional and world economies," said Iraqi deputy prime minister.
The idea of the pact involves commitments on the part of Iraq to develop a secure country that is effective in its regional and international environs and a "rational government" that will democratically represent all Iraqis." The Iraqi five-year plan hopes to attain an economic growth rate of 15.4 percent in 2007, compared to only 3 percent last year, and to enhance the country's oil exports to reach 3.5 million bpd by 2011, which would help double the annual revenue to approximately 50 billion dollars.
The outcome of a World Bank-backed joint Iraq-UN initiative, the pact was discussed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon during a visit to Baghdad last month. Kuwait hosted the high-level preparatory meeting on the international pact with Iraq on October 31, 2006, which was attended by representatives of 14 Arab and foreign countries, as well as international organizations.
The pact, which envisages a period of five years for re-building the war-scarred Iraq, was promoted by the UN chief who invited 100 countries and international finance organizations to contribute. Iraqi officials' statements ahead of the two meetings affirm a genuine inclination to break the political and economic isolation of their country.
The Iraqi government hopes "this pact will act as a roadmap towards (restoring) Iraq's stability and turn it into a secure federal, democratic and united country that depends on market economy," Iraqi Deputy Premier Dr. Burham Saleh said. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari said Iraq, during the two forthcoming conferences, will put participating countries before their responsibilities in order to stop the deterioration of security in Iraq and to contribute to its reconstruction and economy.
On the energy sector, Saleh said "the government has ambitious programs to increase oil production from the 2.4 million barrels per day (bpd) at present to 4.2 million bpd in 2010 and 6 million bpd in 2012. The government will take steps to improve the investment climate and develop the private sector to prepare for merging Iraq into the regional and world economies," said Iraqi deputy prime minister.
The idea of the pact involves commitments on the part of Iraq to develop a secure country that is effective in its regional and international environs and a "rational government" that will democratically represent all Iraqis." The Iraqi five-year plan hopes to attain an economic growth rate of 15.4 percent in 2007, compared to only 3 percent last year, and to enhance the country's oil exports to reach 3.5 million bpd by 2011, which would help double the annual revenue to approximately 50 billion dollars.
Labels: Dr. Burham Saleh, Hoshyar Zibari, International Pact with Iraq, Sharm al-Sheikh Conference
Egypt to call for cease-fire in Iraq at Sharm el-Sheikh conference
Region, Conference
(AP) - Egypt wants an international conference on Iraq this week to call for a three-month cease-fire between Iraqi forces and insurgents, according to a draft resolution. But Iraq strongly objected to the idea on Monday. The Egyptian proposal was the latest source of division between Iraq and its Arab neighbors. It implicitly treats the Shiite-led Iraqi government and the Sunni-led insurgency as equals, and an Iraqi diplomat said Monday that Baghdad rejected the idea.
Egypt is trying to include the cease-fire call in resolutions for a two-day conference starting Thursday, according to a copy of the draft resolutions obtained by The Associated Press. Egypt is hosting the meeting in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik with the aim of uniting countries behind a plan to stabilize Iraq. It is expected to bring together Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, officials from Iran, Russia, China, Europe and Arab nations.
Under the Egyptian proposal, the participants would "call on all parties to implement a cease-fire for an initial period of three months to allow for a conducive environment to help foster the political process and national accord," according to the draft resolutions. It did not elaborate on how insurgents could be brought on board for a cease-fire. An Iraqi official close to diplomatic discussions of the resolutions said the Egyptian proposal was a nonstarter. "This is not a good idea. How can we have a cease-fire with terrorists?" said the Iraqi diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
Although the United States has been pushing al-Maliki to reach out for Sunni Arabs, it is highly unlikely to back a cease-fire with insurgents who are battling U.S. forces as well as Iraqi troops.
Egypt is trying to include the cease-fire call in resolutions for a two-day conference starting Thursday, according to a copy of the draft resolutions obtained by The Associated Press. Egypt is hosting the meeting in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik with the aim of uniting countries behind a plan to stabilize Iraq. It is expected to bring together Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, officials from Iran, Russia, China, Europe and Arab nations.
Under the Egyptian proposal, the participants would "call on all parties to implement a cease-fire for an initial period of three months to allow for a conducive environment to help foster the political process and national accord," according to the draft resolutions. It did not elaborate on how insurgents could be brought on board for a cease-fire. An Iraqi official close to diplomatic discussions of the resolutions said the Egyptian proposal was a nonstarter. "This is not a good idea. How can we have a cease-fire with terrorists?" said the Iraqi diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
Although the United States has been pushing al-Maliki to reach out for Sunni Arabs, it is highly unlikely to back a cease-fire with insurgents who are battling U.S. forces as well as Iraqi troops.
Labels: cease-fire, Egypt, Iraq, Sharm al-Sheikh Conference
Monday, April 30, 2007
Allawi to attend Sharm el-Sheikh conference
Politics
(AP) - Former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi, a sharp critic of the Shiite-led Iraqi government, will participate in an international conference on the country next week, an Egyptian news agency reported Saturday. The move could spark conflict with Baghdad since Allawi is believed to be garnering support to replace Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government, which he has accused of being sectarian.
Allawi arrived in Cairo on Saturday to discuss Iraqi affairs with Egyptian officials, just as the Middle East News Agency reported that he planned to attend the May 3-4 conference. Allawi is believed to have Cairo's support, but it is unclear if the Egyptian government invited him to the conference. MENA also reported that al-Maliki will head the Iraqi delegation to the upcoming meeting, citing Saad Mohammed Ridha, the head of Iraq's diplomatic mission in Cairo.
Allawi, while Shiite through family history, rejects mixing religion and government and says Iraq can only survive through reconciliation with Sunni Muslims. He was installed as Iraq's first post-Saddam prime minister and ran the country from June 2004 until his party was routed by religious Shiite parties in the January 2005 election. Al-Maliki is said to fear rising support among U.S.-allied Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan for an Iraqi national unity government led by Allawi, a favorite of Washington.
At next week's conference, Arab countries will demand that al-Maliki's government do more to reach out to disgruntled Sunni Arabs before they pledge substantial aid to the country, according to a document obtained several days ago by The Associated Press.
On the first day of the conference, officials will unveil the International Compact with Iraq, a five-year plan aimed at strengthening the role of international organizations to stabilize the country's politics and economy.
The second day's meetings will be attended by Iraq's neighbors and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
Allawi arrived in Cairo on Saturday to discuss Iraqi affairs with Egyptian officials, just as the Middle East News Agency reported that he planned to attend the May 3-4 conference. Allawi is believed to have Cairo's support, but it is unclear if the Egyptian government invited him to the conference. MENA also reported that al-Maliki will head the Iraqi delegation to the upcoming meeting, citing Saad Mohammed Ridha, the head of Iraq's diplomatic mission in Cairo.
Allawi, while Shiite through family history, rejects mixing religion and government and says Iraq can only survive through reconciliation with Sunni Muslims. He was installed as Iraq's first post-Saddam prime minister and ran the country from June 2004 until his party was routed by religious Shiite parties in the January 2005 election. Al-Maliki is said to fear rising support among U.S.-allied Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan for an Iraqi national unity government led by Allawi, a favorite of Washington.
At next week's conference, Arab countries will demand that al-Maliki's government do more to reach out to disgruntled Sunni Arabs before they pledge substantial aid to the country, according to a document obtained several days ago by The Associated Press.
On the first day of the conference, officials will unveil the International Compact with Iraq, a five-year plan aimed at strengthening the role of international organizations to stabilize the country's politics and economy.
The second day's meetings will be attended by Iraq's neighbors and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
Labels: Egypt, International Compact with Iraq, Iyad Allawi, Nouri Al-Maliki, Saad Mohammed Ridha, Sharm al-Sheikh Conference
Iran agrees to participate in Sharm el-Sheikh Iraq conference
Region, Politics
(AP) - Iran agreed Sunday to join the U.S. and other countries at a conference on Iraq this week, raising hopes the government in Tehran would help stabilize its violent neighbor and stem the flow of guns and bombs over the border. In an apparent effort to drive home that point, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told an Iranian envoy that the persistent violence in Iraq, some of it carried out by the Shiite militias Iran is accused of arming, could spill over into neighboring countries, including those that are "supposed to support the Iraqi government."
Al-Maliki's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, said Sunday that the U.S. has not provided Iraq with any "solid evidence" that Iran is arming fighters in Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also expected to attend the Iraq conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheik on Thursday and Friday, raising the possibility of a rare direct encounter between high-level U.S. and Iranian officials. In Washington, Rice would not rule out a meeting with the Iranians, whose delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
Iraqi leaders had been pressing for the Iranians to attend the meeting in Sharm el-Sheik for weeks, but Iran refused to commit, in part because of fears that it would come under pressure from the U.S. and others about its nuclear program. In addition, the Iranians have been lobbying for release of five Iranians held by the U.S. in Iraq since January. The U.S. has accused the five of links to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard unit that arms and trains Shiite extremists in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
The decision to attend "came after consultations between Iraqi officials and the Iranian president," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said in an interview with Iranian state television. Senior Iranian envoy Ali Larijani flew to Baghdad on Sunday for talks with al-Maliki and other senior Iraqi officials, the highest-ranking Iranian official to visit Iraq since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. During their meeting, Larijani told al-Maliki that all countries that want stability in the region "have no choice but to support Iraq's elected government."
Iraq's other neighbors as well as Egypt, Bahrain and representatives of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members have also agreed to attend the meeting. Apart from security issues, the U.S. and Iraq hope the conference will produce an agreement to forgive Iraq's huge debts and offer financial assistance in return for an Iraqi pledge to implement political and economic reforms.
But Iraq's Arab neighbors are expected to demand that the Baghdad government, dominated by Shiites and Kurds, do more to reach out to its own disgruntled Sunni Arabs before they pledge substantial aid. On Sunday, President Bush called Iraq's Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi, to discuss the importance of the reconciliation process and the need for all Iraqi parties to work together to stabilize the country, according to Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.
The Iraqis, for their part, were anxious for the Iranians to attend to give them leverage against their Sunni-dominated neighbors and to help press their case that Sunni extremists, including al-Qaida, pose the gravest threat to stability.
Al-Maliki's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, said Sunday that the U.S. has not provided Iraq with any "solid evidence" that Iran is arming fighters in Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also expected to attend the Iraq conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheik on Thursday and Friday, raising the possibility of a rare direct encounter between high-level U.S. and Iranian officials. In Washington, Rice would not rule out a meeting with the Iranians, whose delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
Iraqi leaders had been pressing for the Iranians to attend the meeting in Sharm el-Sheik for weeks, but Iran refused to commit, in part because of fears that it would come under pressure from the U.S. and others about its nuclear program. In addition, the Iranians have been lobbying for release of five Iranians held by the U.S. in Iraq since January. The U.S. has accused the five of links to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard unit that arms and trains Shiite extremists in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
The decision to attend "came after consultations between Iraqi officials and the Iranian president," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said in an interview with Iranian state television. Senior Iranian envoy Ali Larijani flew to Baghdad on Sunday for talks with al-Maliki and other senior Iraqi officials, the highest-ranking Iranian official to visit Iraq since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. During their meeting, Larijani told al-Maliki that all countries that want stability in the region "have no choice but to support Iraq's elected government."
Iraq's other neighbors as well as Egypt, Bahrain and representatives of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members have also agreed to attend the meeting. Apart from security issues, the U.S. and Iraq hope the conference will produce an agreement to forgive Iraq's huge debts and offer financial assistance in return for an Iraqi pledge to implement political and economic reforms.
But Iraq's Arab neighbors are expected to demand that the Baghdad government, dominated by Shiites and Kurds, do more to reach out to its own disgruntled Sunni Arabs before they pledge substantial aid. On Sunday, President Bush called Iraq's Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi, to discuss the importance of the reconciliation process and the need for all Iraqi parties to work together to stabilize the country, according to Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.
The Iraqis, for their part, were anxious for the Iranians to attend to give them leverage against their Sunni-dominated neighbors and to help press their case that Sunni extremists, including al-Qaida, pose the gravest threat to stability.
Labels: Adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, Ali Larijani, Condoleezza Rice, Iran, Manouchehr Mottaki, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sharm al-Sheikh Conference
Monday, April 23, 2007
Turkmeneli Party calls for Sharm el-Sheikh conference to declare Kirkuk autonomous
Turkomen,
(VOI) - Turkmeneli Party (TP) on Saturday called on the Sharm al-Sheikh Conference on Iraq to pay due attention to the situation of Turkomans in Iraq and to declare Kirkuk an autonomous province governed by Arabs, Kurds and Turkomans. "Since the establishment of the Iraqi state, the main and chronic problems encountered have revolved around national and ethnic issues. No plan or project has been proposed on the Iraqi political scene to satisfy all Iraqi sects," the party, one of Kirkuk's main Turkoman parties, said in a statement released today, of which the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) managed to obtain a copy.
"We believe that it is necessary to resolve all pending problems before formulating a new political equation. The rights of all sectors of Iraqi society have to be taken into account to achieve stability in the country," the statement added. "We also believe that a proper handling of Turkomans' problems in Iraq should begin with correcting the mistakes made by the administration of Ambassador Paul Bremer, which depended on an incorrect account of the Turkoman population, based on statistics released in 1997, when establishing the national and political quota system."
The statement accused the former Iraqi regime of exerting political pressure on Turkomans, falsifying national statistics and displacing them. "TP believes in national coexistence and the importance of establishing a pluralistic democratic system. We have projects for the administration of Iraq and Kirkuk province. We earlier proposed a project to divide Iraq into six federal regions: two in the north, two in the middle and two in the south. Each region will consist of three provinces," the statement said.
Calling for an autonomous Kirkuk, the statement said, "Having great faith in the federal system, we suggest that the province of Kirkuk should be declared a federal region by itself for an eight-year transitional period under international supervision, with a tripartite administration that includes Arabs, Kurds and Turkomans, taking into full consideration the rights of ChaldoAssyrians. All Turkomans and Arabs and some Kurds support the project for Kirkuk region.
We hope that the Sharm al-Sheikh conference will include this project along with the crisis of Talafar citizens on its agenda and in its final statement," the statement concluded. The province of Kirkuk, 250 km northeast of Baghdad, is home to Kurds, Arabs, Turkomans and ChaldoAssyrians, and is one of the most heated topics on the Iraqi political scene. The province is waiting for the establishment of procedures to normalize the situation by implementing article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, returning displaced Arabs to their homes and offering them 20 million dinars in compensation.
Labels: Article 140, Kirkuk, Sharm al-Sheikh Conference, Turkmeneli Party, Turkomen
