By NNN-WAM,
New York : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed UAE’s decision to write off all debts on Iraq. The debt amounting to USD 4bn that was paid to Iraq over the last several years was written off along with interest by a decision in July by President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In a report on UN mission in Iraq, presented to UN Security council for ratification, Ban Ki-moon, said ‘the decision of the United Arab Emirates to forgive Iraqi debt is a strong step that I hope is taken by others in the region’.
The UN Security Council voted unanimously yesterday to renew for one year, the mandate of the UN mission for Iraq until August 2009.
Responding to a request from Iraqi Foreign minister and recommendation by UN Secretary General, the 15-memeber Security Council adopted Resolution 1830, sponsored by Britain, Italy and the United States extending the UN mandate.
In an address, Iraq’s UN envoy Hamid al-Bayati praised UAE’s decision to write off Iraq debts and send its ambassador to Bagdad.