The United Nations kicked off on Saturday afternoon a high-level
meeting on Iraq in a bid to bolster international support for the
country.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki were co-chairing the two-hour session.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ban said that "There
was a very positive and supportive tone from all the participants
at the meeting. And there was strong Iraqi support for an enhanced
UN role within the framework of the new mandate in Security Council
Resolution 1770."
"This meeting has helped to promote a stronger partnership
between the international community and Iraq. The United Nations is
committed to supporting this partnership," he said at the joint
press conference with al-Maliki.
Ban has pointed out that the United Nations maintains several
distinct comparative advantages in Iraq, saying it enjoys good
relations with a wide range of actors from across the political
spectrum.
"We are prepared to do more in an effort to advance inclusive
political dialogue, including through constitutional review, as
well as political facilitation and national reconciliation."
Responding to questions, Ban said that the United Nations is
well-placed to help Iraq but cautioned that any expansion of its
presence there would be contingent on security condition.
He said a "modest" increase in the number of staff in Iraq will
be made as soon as facilities are ready to accommodate them in
safety and security.
There will be an increase in the number of staff in Erbil in
northern Iraq, and the UN is considering adding a presence in
Basra, the second largest city in south Iraq, Ban said.
In addition, the UN chief said that following preparatory talks
earlier this month, he also proposed the establishment of a
"support office" in Baghdad to facilitate coordination between Iraq
and neighboring countries.
The proposal has met with positive responses, he said,
anticipating that it would be finalized at a planned expanded
ministerial meeting to be held next month in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Saturday meeting, convened by the United Nations and Iraq,
was attended by ministers or representatives from 20 countries,
including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council
--Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and eight
neighbors of Iraq -- Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia, Syria and Turkey.
Zhai Jun, China's assistant foreign minister, attended the
meeting.
Also present at the meeting were U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, Foreign Ministers Ahmed Gheit of Egypt,
Manouchehr Mottaki of Iran, Prince Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia,
Ali Babacan of Turkey as well as European Union foreign policy
chief Javier Solana.
Representatives from Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan, as well
as the European Union, the European Commission, the Arab League and
the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the World Bank andthe
International Monetary Fund are also invited as observers.
(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2007)