UAE remains committed to Iraq's peace march, says Shaikh Abdullah

Kuwait: The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday pledged to act through existing bilateral and collective frameworks to serve the interests of Iraq and its people in order to sustain the march of peace, security and stability in the region and the world at large.

Countries belonging to Gulf Cooperation Council hope that our whole region become stable and prosperous and as part of that aspiration, “we look forward to Iraq being a full and active partner, both contributing to the process of development and benefiting from it as this will contribute to maintaining security, stability and prosperity in our region,'' Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, said at the opening session of the third expanded conference in Kuwait of foreign ministers of Iraq's neighbouring countries on Tuesday.

“We consider that this meeting, held with the active participation of the GCC states, is, in itself, a positive step. We are neighbours of Iraq, and we all have an interest in it once again becoming, and remaining, a stable, united and prosperous country,'' Shaikh Abdullah told the gathering.

He said the recent improvements in the security situation in Iraq are, in our view, a cause for optimism, although there is, of course, much more to be done.

“We look forward to further improvements in the days, weeks and months ahead, so that the people of Iraq may be spared from the cycle of destruction and bloodshed that has afflicted them for so long.''

That improvement in the security situation, however, he said, will only come about if further progress is made in the continuing efforts to achieve political and national reconciliation in Iraq, “something that we all hope will take place''.

“We urge all the parties concerned in this process to continue their efforts to reach agreement and reconciliation. It is only through the achievement of such reconciliation that a prosperous, stable and united Iraq can once again emerge, ready to play its role within our wider region,'' he said.

The Government of the United Arab Emirates remains committed to that objective, and “we hope that this meeting will give a further impetus to that process'', he said.

The conference was opened by the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah.

Two similar conferences were convened in Egypt and Turkey over the last two years.