April 9, 2007
LONDON ,-- A summit between Iraq's neighbours
and world powers next month in Egypt should only
deal with problems in Iraq, and should not be
dominated by issues between the United States, Iran
and Syria, the Iraqi foreign minister said in an
interview published Monday.
Speaking to The Guardian, Hoshyar Zebari said that
the issue of Iraq's security should be the "only
issue on the agenda," at the meeting in Sharm
el-Sheikh on May 3 and 4.
"We are saying keep your quarrels and fights away;
we have enough on our plate," Zebari told the daily
from Baghdad.
"We are getting caught in the middle and the
tensions are affecting us immediately and directly." |
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari |
|
Next month's talks are aimed at engaging Iraq's
neighbours in restoring security to the war-torn
country, following up on an initial ambassador-level
meeting in Baghdad in March.
The March 10 talks saw the United States and its
regional foes, Iran and Syria, two key Iraq
neighbours, hold rare direct talks.
The follow-up ministerial-level conference could see
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meet her
Iranian counterpart.
"We should invite them to discuss one subject, Iraq
... This is the test for our neighbours. It is in
their interest to come and show goodwill and actions
and agree to stop meddling," said Zebari.
"If (they) deliver, then there is a possibility to
open other issues. But Iraq first, that is the key."
The Iraqi foreign ministry said the event will
include Iraq's six neighbours -- Iran, Jordan,
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey -- plus
Bahrain, Egypt, the Arab League, the Organisation of
Islamic Conference and the United Nations.
Also attending will be the five permanent members of
the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France,
Russia and the United States -- and members of the
G8, bringing to the table Canada, the European
Union, Germany, Italy and Japan.
Zebari's announcement of the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting
over the weekend came just days after 15 British
sailors were released by Iran after spending nearly
two weeks detained by Tehran for apparently
trespassing into Iranian territorial waters.
Britain insists the group were in Iraqi waters, but
the rise in tension between Britain and Iran was a
problem, Zebari
acknowledged.
"It worsened the atmosphere between the US, Britain
and Iran, and that is a concern for us at this vital
time," he told the daily.
AFP
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