Date of release : 25-04-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : General Affairs and External Relations Council

During the General Affairs and External Relations Council held in Luxembourg on Monday April 25 2005, the minister for Foreign Affairs and current President of the Council of the European Union, Jean Asselborn, declared on the issue of Iraq:

"We have discussed today the next stages for political transition in Iraq. After the January elections, the ongoing formation of a transitional government which will have the important task of supporting the process of drafting a permanent constitution is, of course, a very important step.

During the visit of President Bush on February 22 last, the European Union and the United States had indicated their availability to jointly organise an international conference on Iraq, if the transitional government of Iraq so wishes.

It is clear to us that Iraqi needs and wishes must be to the forefront of any such conference.  Very close cooperation with Iraq on the conference is, therefore, essential – as with the UN, which has and must have a key role to play in the transition process in Iraq.

The transitional authorities already in place in Iraq have indicated their interest in the holding of such a conference. Of course, we are waiting for the formation of an transitional government of Iraq before we can elaborate on the details of this event, but we think that the conference could present an opportunity for the Iraqi authorities to inform us on their strategy for the country over the medium and long term, including their ideas on the constitutional process and the political, economic and social reconstruction of Iraq.

We are not trying to organise a new conference of donors.  The objective of the conference, which could be held in Brussels in the second half of June, would be rather to mark the international community’s support of the new government of Iraq during the transition period which will lead to the constitutional elections in December 2005, in accordance with the deadlines set out in Resolution 1546 of the United National Security Council."