World leaders vow to back Iraq

2005-06-22 14:42

Brussels - The world's top diplomats vowed on Wednesday to boost support for Iraq's interim leaders in rebuilding the war-scarred country, but urged Iraqis to end their feuding to ensure a democratic and prosperous future.

United Nations chief Kofi Annan, speaking at an international conference on Iraq, also underlined that the global community must match its words with action to help Iraq, still wracked by violence more than two years after Saddam Hussein's ouster.

He said the people of Iraq "look to this conference for a clear sign that the international community will be their determined and dedicated companions on the tough road ahead.

"By our words and more importantly by our deeds we must reassure them that we will not let them down."

Producing few concrete results

The one-day conference, co-sponsored by United States and Europe, was expected to produce few concrete results, but confirmed trans-Atlantic co-operation on Iraq after the bitter rifts produced by the 2003 US-led invasion.

It was the first such conference attended by the transitional broad-based government elected in Iraq's landmark democratic elections in January, an event which helped defuse anger in Europe about the invasion.

US officials also did not try to hide their hope that it would provide a display of world backing for US policy in Iraq at a time when Americans at home were becoming increasingly sceptical of the operation.

US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, while vowing Washington's continued support, called on Baghdad to boost security and open its political system and economy.

'Iraqis deserve full support'

Rice said: "We have agreed to work together to build a renewed international partnership with Iraq. The brave people of Iraq are asking us to stand with them - and they deserve our full support."

But, she added that "Iraq, in turn, has obligations of its own.

"To maximise the financial benefits of assistance, the new Iraqi government must continue to improve security, liberalise its economy and open political space for all members of Iraqi society who reject violence."

Annan called for Iraq's different ethnic and religious groups to come together behind the constitution.

Compromise, reconciliation

Of the Iraqi people, he said: "We can only admire their courage and resilience as they seek to rebuild their country."

But, he said: "Compromise and reconciliation are the way forward, not ... violence. Iraqis must find it within themselves to reach out to one another and address issues on which they may differ."

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari vowed that Baghdad had every intention of taking on its responsibilities - including military ones after US-led forces began withdrawing from the country next year.

He said: "We want the presence of multinational forces in Iraq to be provisional, and our own forces to take over the tasks which are down to them."

- AFP