Baghdad: In a speech defending his government's record on Saturday, Shiite Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki urged Iraq's neighbours to work together for the region's stability.

"Evil wants to strike this or that country; it will not stop at the border of one country. For this, we have to stand together as a wall in the face of this evil," Maliki said in his address to visiting officials from neighbouring countries.

"This government is working hard to develop the political situation. It has made many gains despite the huge destruction left by the former regime," Maliki said. “We are at the beginning of the road, but at the same time, we say that what has been achieved is something promising."

Maliki's speech comes a day before top US officials in Iraq deliver a long-awaited assessment to the Democrat-controlled Congress on President George W. Bush's decision to send 30,000 extra soldiers to Iraq.

The reports by the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker could influence any decision Bush takes on troop numbers amid demands from Democrats and some Republicans for US forces to start leaving Iraq.

Senior Democrats in the United States have slammed Maliki's performance, with some even calling for his replacement.