By KUNA,
Kuwait : Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said here Tuesday Iraq has been making progress at the security and political fronts, but asserted that some parties were still interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs, while urging debtors to ease their debts on Iraq.
Addressing the opening session of the Third Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighboring Countries of Iraq, Al-Maliki said he found it strange that Arab brothers were reluctant to re-establish diplomatic representations in Iraq.
“We have made tangible progress in enforcing security in Baghdad in which it succeeded in iplementing the Law Enforcement plan,” and life returned to normal in many areas, said Al-Maliki.
— Al-Maliki said his government has been pursuing outlaws in all governorates, recnetly in Basra, in a bid to eliminate Al-Qaeda militants and elements of the former Iraqi regime.
He noted that the Iraqi political parties have shown backing to the Baghdad government to confronting terrorists and disarming militia, and said his government was serious in its national conciliation quest because it would get the country out of limbo.
Since the liberation of Iraq in March 2003, thousands of Iraqi civilians and servicemen from the Iraqi and coalition forces.
“We are backing all these efforts through dialogues with all those interested in entering the political process but on condition of dropping of arms … Our hands are stretched for those wishing to participate,” he said.
Al-Maliki said his country has got rid of dictatorship and was thus ready to play a role boosting regional security and stability, defusing tension and conflicts in Iraq and the entire region.
“The new Iraq is not the Iraq of yesterday which triggered conflicts and wars, and assault its neighbors, but a united, democratic and multi-party country keen on establishing good relations with all countries around the world … based on non-inteference in internal affairs,” he asserted.
But the “policies of interference in our internal affairs did not stop and their effects are clear in fueling violence politically and financially and via media … as well as via training of terrorists,” he said.
Terrorists target all faiths, ethnics and countries, and they work on fueling sedition and instability.
“We call on all neighboring countries to boost security measures on common borders to stop infiltration of terrorists into our territories,” he said
— AL-Maliki, meanwhile, said the Iraqi government was suffering from “reckless” policies of the ex-Baathist regime and have this piled up debts on Iraq, caused devastating destruction for the country’s infrastructure, the educational and health sectors.
“Our people is looking forward to removing heavy debts,” largely caused by an eight-year war initiated by the former regime in Baghdad against Iran and its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, he said.
He noted that promises to write off the debts by “our brothers” did not materialize, while at the same time many countries which have no common historical and cultural links with Iraq have erased the debts.
“Writing off the debts and stopping compensations on Iraq will give a positive signal to the Iraqi people that there is a genuine desire to helping them overcome crises,” said Al-Maliki.
Al-Maliki thanked the government of Kuwait for hosting the conference, and His Higness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Sabah for their support.
At the diplomatic front, Al-Maliki said it was strange that Arab brothers were hesitant to re-establish diplomatic representation in Iraq. “This is an initiative we expected time ago but did not materialize although Western countries have kept their diplomatic missions in Baghdad and did not give any security pretexts,” added the Prime Minister.
“Diplomatic openness and exchanging diplomatic representation is not only serving the interests of Iraq but contribute to strengthening security and stability, and economic development for the peoples and countries in the region,” he said.
Al-Maliki called anew on the countries to honor their pledges to help the Iraqi government in rebuilding the country, and providing good circumstances for the Iraqi refugees and facilitate their return to their country.