Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-06-Speech-3-008"
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"en.20050706.2.3-008"2
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".
Mr President, it is a very great honour for me to be here today. It is the first occasion on which I have addressed this great body. Thank you very much for the opportunity to do so, first to make a brief speech now in respect of Iraq and later in the morning at greater length on Africa and globalisation.
The security situation is poor. The better news is the increase in the training and ability of the Iraqi security forces. Now there are 168 000 individuals in the Iraqi security forces overall. More and more of them have a proper capability and are being used. We are well aware that under Security Council Resolution 1546 the mandate for the foreign forces in Iraq will come to an end in December this year, unless it is renewed in some way, and that in any event, as 1546 makes clear, we the coalition forces are only there at the invitation of the Iraqi Government. Were the Iraqi government to ask us to leave, we would leave immediately.
On the issue of whether there could be a United Nations 'blue-hatted' force, I have no difficulty with that in principle. The only issue is encouraging other countries to come forward. Whether we can achieve that remains to be seen. However, on the overall objective of coalition forces being reduced and then leaving and the Iraqis taking full control for themselves, we are absolutely in agreement.
To sum up, the United Kingdom will look during its presidency to pursue a growing relationship between the EU and Iraq, building on what we have already achieved. I welcome the Committee's endorsement of the goal and particularly their call for the Commission to open its office in Baghdad and for the EU to send an observer mission to the elections to be held in Iraq in December.
I greatly welcome the Committee's suggestion that the European Parliament should build on its relationship with the Iraqi Transitional National Assembly.
I look forward to today's debate
I begin by thanking the Committee on Foreign Affairs, particularly its chairman, Mr Dimitrakopoulos, for its report and for the presentation this morning. Apologies for my pronunciation. I did Ancient Greek at school, but of course that was written rather than oral. The disagreements within the European Union over military action against Saddam's regime in Iraq are a matter of record and we all acknowledge that strongly held views remain on both sides. Given the strength of feeling, I am particularly grateful to your Committee for the way in which it has looked forward for a future for Iraq rather than backwards to rehearse the arguments over it.
Since the end of military action, the European Union has recognised its strong and common interest in supporting the new Iraq that is now emerging. I think we all condemn those who want to determine Iraq's future through extremism and violence. We condemn all killings and kidnappings, but, given the nature of this body, we particularly condemn the recent kidnapping of the Egyptian Ambassador in Iraq, Mr Ihab al-Sherif, and the attacks on other diplomats from Arab countries.
We are determined to see the success of a peaceful, stable and democratic Iraq, which responds to the needs of all its citizens. Just over a year ago, the European Council endorsed the Commission's communication setting out medium-term objectives for the development of the EU's relationship with Iraq. That strategy is bearing fruit.
Last November, the Council presented a package of European Union assistance to Iraq's then Prime Minister, Dr Allawi. That included a longer-term commitment to starting negotiations on a third country agreement and to promoting EU trade and political cooperation with Iraq; a reminder of the Commission's offer to implement the generalised system of preferences and financial support. Experts from the Commission worked with the United Nations and the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, and helped to make a success of Iraq's first democratic elections on 30 January this year. Several Members of the European Parliament also observed those elections.
The General Affairs and External Relations Council in February agreed to build on this package of assistance with further support for Iraq's political process, including the drafting of a new constitution. It agreed on a new Community aid package of EUR 200 million and the launch of an EU integrated Rule of Law and Police Training Mission for Iraq with offices in Baghdad and Brussels. That mission began training Iraqi police, judiciary and penitentiary officials yesterday and is making a valuable contribution to the Iraqi Government's efforts to increase its authority and to entrench the rule of law.
Overall, the European Union is today delivering an impressive and comprehensive programme of assistance to the Government and people of Iraq as they seek to build a peaceful and democratic future. Last month, along with Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, the High Representative, Javier Solana, and the President of the General Affairs Council, Jean Asselborn, I visited Baghdad. In my view, and I hope Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner shares this view, it was a very important visit, symbolising the European Union's commitment to the new Iraq.
There the Commissioner reiterated the Commission's intention to open an office in Baghdad as soon as possible, so as to strengthen the EU's dialogue and technical assistance. At the International Conference on Iraq in Brussels a fortnight ago, hosted jointly by the United States and the European Union, representatives from 87 countries and international organisations gave a similar and strong message of support to the new Iraq.
Let me just respond in opening to one absolutely key point. I will make my first apology for referring to the rapporteur as the chairman. If this is regarded as a slight on my very good friend Elmar Brok, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I apologise to him too. Mr Dimitrakopoulos rightly said that the security situation was the key to everything else and the security situation is serious. There is no disguising that. He also intimated that the sooner the Iraqis were able to take control of their own security the better. Let me say, as one of what were the two formal occupying powers in Iraq, the United States and the United Kingdom, and someone with his own personal responsibility for the war, we share this aspiration. Leave aside the arguments of the past. All of us believe that the quicker the Iraqis are able to take responsibility for their own security the better and the quicker the coalition forces will then be able to leave."@en1
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