Date of release : 23-05-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : General Affairs and External Relations Council

At a press conference held on May 23 2005 to mark the General Affairs and External Relations Council, Jean Asselborn, Minister for Foreign Affairs and current president of the European Council announced that an international conference on Iraq would be held at the end of June 2005 in Brussels.  He stated:  

"As regards Iraq, we discussed the state of preparations for the international conference on Iraq.

Let us remember that during the EU-US summit on February 22, the European Union and the United States offered to jointly organise an International Conference on Iraq, if the transitional government of Iraq so wished. We have since received such a request from the Iraqi government. The roles of Iraq and the UN during preparations for the conference are absolutely central.

The conference will be held at the end of June in Brussels and will be attended by ministers for foreign affairs.

The conference will give Iraq an opportunity to tell us about its long-term strategy, its priorities and ideas as regards the constitutional process, the reconstruction of the rule of law and public order and to present its ongoing work in these areas.  

The main aim of the conference will be to mark both the international community’s support of the new government during the transition stage leading to constitutional elections in December 2005 and the international community’s commitment to the political, economic and social reconstruction of Iraq."