Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-06-Speech-3-007"
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"en.20050706.2.3-007"2
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".
Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to start by expressing my thanks to my honourable friends in the Committee on Foreign Affairs for their cooperation, which means that today you have before you a report which, I believe, is an integrated report laying down certain substantial guidelines on how relations between the European Union and Iraq need to move in future.
Without doubt, since combat operations ended, the situation in Iraq has been difficult and, unfortunately, is deteriorating by the day. Thus, the first comment I have to make concerns the security situation, the most important problem identified in Iraq today. It is important not only because it costs thousands of human lives every day, but also because nothing else can be done unless the security problem is addressed.
Of course, this conclusion is not enough. Very specific measures also need to be taken. One of these is, of course, the restoration of the Iraqi security forces and, on the other hand, the restoration of the Iraqi army, which is no easy matter. At the same time, as certain security problems are caused by the presence there of foreign military forces, I consider that replacing the military forces with a UN peace force would be an important step. This is one of the basic proposals in my report. Of course, it is something which cannot be achieved in 48 hours; of course, it is a decision which requires debate; of course, it is a decision which must be based on a UN Security Council resolution. However, in my opinion, it is necessary.
The third comment I have to make concerns reconstruction. Following the war, Iraq is a country in which the entire social fabric has broken down. Thus, reconstruction must not be examined as a mere logistical construction process; there is, of course, the question of construction, but there is also the question of reshaping and orientating a society, and reshaping and orientating a society includes political, economic, social and cultural issues.
The epicentre of the overall reconstruction process is, without doubt, a procedure which has just started, by which I mean the drafting of the new constitution. It is clear – and it must be clear to all of us – that the future of Iraq is primarily in the hands of the Iraqi people, and that is how it should be. On the other hand, however, it is very important for the European Union, with its tradition of democracy, to propose – through the procedure to draft the constitution of course – that care be taken to ensure that there will be a democratic, progressive society, with social awareness; a society which reflects the pluralism of Iraq.
Finally, and this is my last point, the presence of the European Union both in the reconstruction and in the entire course of events of Iraq, which is a country with an important history, is something for which provision is made in this report and something which should be supported."@en1
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