December 7, 2007

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki said on Thursday the International Compact for Iraq (ICI) initiative basically aims at building a federal, democratic and united Iraq where all Iraqis are equally treated regardless of their belongings.

Despite the numerous challenges besetting Iraq, it is taking steady steps towards building a democratic state where security and stability prevail and all citizens have the same rights and duties, he noted.

Maliki said the Iraqi government and all Iraqi national powers are working hard to bring about prosperity, justice, equality, security and progress for all Iraqis.

Since the first day of its formation, the Iraqi government, Maliki said, decided to go ahead with national economy reforms to guarantee a successful transformation from a central economy to a market one.

He said Iraq expects an assistance from neighboring and friendly countries in the political, administrative and financial domains to help face current challenges and address economic problems.

The Iraqi prime minister made clear that security is very much linked to economic progress, saying one cannot talk about security and stability without talking about economic progress that benefits all segments of society.

He said any ambitious economic programme cannot succeed without considering fighting poverty, unemployment and financial and administrative corruption.

Maliki said the government is keen on addressing these problems as part of an integrated plan to provide financial and social protection to poor and deprived brackets.

He hoped the ICI initiative would start a new stage in Iraq's relations with all world states based on mutual respect and joint interests.

But in order for this ICI to succeed, there must be an international commitment to this initiative, he added.

At the end, Maliki thanked all countries that wrote off all or some of Iraq's debts, saying this move will help the Iraqi government enhance democracy, reinforce the rule of law and start big projects for reconstruction.