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Baghdad / National News Center
Today, Wednesday, the Ambassador of the European Union to Iraq, Martin Huth, affirmed the Iraqi government's support for holding the upcoming elections on schedule, and revealed preparations to send a European mission to monitor and ensure their integrity, while providing technical assistance to the Independent High Electoral Commission in the amount of 5.5 million euros.
Hote expressed his welcome to Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's call for a national dialogue that includes all segments of society, as well as the outcomes of the strategic dialogue with the United States, while pointing to the European Union's support for the white paper to initiate reforms aimed at diversifying the economy and enabling the private sector and investment.
This came during an interview conducted by the official newspaper with the ambassador, the text of which follows.
Do you think that the elections will be held on schedule and with sufficient transparency in light of regional instability and international interference?
* The Iraqi people have demanded early elections, and the government and parliament are committed to holding them on October 10, and we believe that all concerned foreign countries support the electoral process, and the Independent High Electoral Commission is working hard to complete technical preparations and is confident that everything will be ready for the elections on time. Therefore, we see no reason to postpone the elections further.
Of course, we in the European Union expect and demand that these elections be characterized by integrity, credibility and full transparency, and that they be held in an environment conducive to achieving these goals.
Does the European Union have fears of fraud in the upcoming elections? And what support does it provide to support these elections?
* Actual electoral fraud and attempted fraud must be reduced, whether at the technical or coercive levels, to the lowest possible level. What raises concern is the security and human rights environment in which the elections will be held. If protesters, activists and journalists continue to be threatened, targeted, or even assassinated, this will seriously harm Great for the reputation and integrity of elections, so it is essential that candidates feel safe enough to run, and voters feel secure that they can participate and vote in large numbers.
The European Union supports the elections in two ways, first, by providing technical assistance to the Independent High Electoral Commission through the United Nations for the preparation of the elections in the amount of (5.5 million euros), the European Union and its member states provide a large majority of international support to organize this entitlement.
Second, the European Union aims to strengthen the freedom and integrity of elections through international monitoring, at the invitation of the Electoral Commission, as it decided to send a European mission to monitor it, including international monitors, and it will be strengthened with the participation of the embassies of the European Union countries in Iraq, where they will be dispatched 6 weeks before the date of the elections In order to follow the preparations and the electoral campaign, they will be present in all parts of the country on election day and will remain to monitor the vote count and any court ruling that may be passed. A few weeks later.
What are the most important sectors of cooperation between Iraq and the European Union?
* The European Union, as a long-term partner of Iraq, remains committed to supporting the priorities of development and cooperation for the benefit of the Iraqi people. The strong demonstrations that have swept the country since October 2019 have highlighted the need for serious structural reform in order to bypass the oil-dependent economy, which is still not diversified and financially unsustainable, to combat endemic corruption and, most importantly, to combat the lack of job opportunities. There will be an understanding and acceptance of the need for these reforms not only from the Iraqi government, but also from the Iraqi citizen.
The future of any country lies in its children, and this is especially true for Iraq—more than
50% of the Iraqi population is under the age of 18, and nearly 60% is under the age of 25, and the large-scale demonstrations that swept across Iraq are an expression of the discontent and aspirations of the Iraqi youth. The Tishreen movement demands a system free of corruption, and rejects regional and international influence in Iraq, but also Demanding job opportunities and a clear perspective for the future of youth.
For our part, the European Union has a great participation in programs to support job creation - just this year, I signed agreements with the Minister of Planning in the amount of 220 million euros to support the socio-economic recovery in Iraq, create job opportunities and revitalize the economy, especially the agricultural sector, and this week, I was proud to assist the first Iraqi labor conference, launch a major joint EU-Germany private sector development initiative, and a workshop on WTO accession, these are just a few examples of strong
EU engagement .
In terms of security cooperation, the EU also has a large advisory mission in Iraq that provides strategic advice to the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the National Security Adviser in the area of
civilian security sector reform .
How do you evaluate Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's call for a national dialogue between the various Iraqi political parties?
* We support Prime Minister Al-Kazemi’s call for national dialogue. After the protests that began in October 2019, it is important for all Iraqis to come together and exchange views on what they want their society to be, and to formulate a social contract, as the national dialogue can be supportive of this process, and on Especially if it goes beyond political parties and includes segments of society.
- In your view, how did the outcomes of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States go, and the fate of the international coalition in Iraq?
* The United States is an important partner for Iraq and it is good to see both countries restarting their strategic dialogue last year, and we are pleased to see the successful conclusion of the last round of this dialogue, especially with regard to the presence of US military forces in Iraq.
As far as the international coalition to defeat ISIS, of which the European Union is a non-military member, is concerned, it is important to remember that its presence in Iraq came as a response to an urgent request from the Iraqi government, ISIS still represents a threat to Iraq, the region and the world, so we still see a role for the coalition in Iraq.
- What do you think of the Turkish violations in the Iraqi territories and the occupation of some areas? Does the European Union have a position on it?
* Although Turkey has the right to defend itself against the PKK elements present in northern Iraq, but any action must fully respect Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with strict adherence to international humanitarian law, as we would like to see better security cooperation between Turkey and the government Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government in this regard.
Has the European Union changed its policy towards Iraq after the events of the October 2019 demonstrations and changed governments after them?
* When the protests began, we re-evaluated some of our policies toward Iraq, for example, shifted our focus to helping Iraq prepare for elections, providing an opportunity for Iraqis to voice their concerns through the democratic process, as well as supporting the conceptualization of national dialogue and launching anti-corruption and sector-strengthening programs and help create jobs.
Did you notice any change in the foreign policy of the Iraqi government? And how do you evaluate Iraq's step in playing a pivotal role in calming regional conflicts such as Saudi Arabia and Iran?
* Although this approach in foreign policy has been in circulation for a period of time, we are now beginning to see the first tangible results of this approach, and this is a very positive development. Iraq, with its central location in the Middle East and the diversity of its population, is in an ideal place to play a constructive role in building bridges between his neighbours. We very much welcome the Iraqi mediation efforts, and we hope that these efforts will be of benefit not only to Iran and Saudi Arabia, but also to Iraq itself.
Will NATO be an alternative to the international coalition in Iraq?
* NATO cannot be a substitute for the international coalition to defeat ISIS. The mission of NATO in Iraq is non-combat aimed at strengthening the Iraqi security institutions to be able to prevent the return of ISIS, combat terrorism and achieve stability, and they do so by providing Iraq with training, advice and capacity building.
- The Iraqi government has bought large quantities of Russian weapons as a substitute for the shortage from American and European companies due to the missile attacks against military headquarters. How do you evaluate that?
* I am not qualified to offer opinions on Iraq’s policy in the field of military procurement, but I would like to stress that the ongoing attacks against military bases, civilian airports and even diplomatic representations are reckless and needless sabotage attempts by self-appointed defenders of Iraqi interests, and they threaten the stability of Iraq and its cohesion, and damage the prestige of the state.
These attacks also endanger the lives of Iraqis, and unfortunately they are often the main victims, and also contribute significantly to the international view of Iraq as a conflict area, which leads to alienation of foreign investors that Iraq desperately needs, and the vast majority of Iraqis understand this and do not support these
Reckless attacks.
How do you evaluate the economic performance of the Iraqi government? Were any agreements reached with the Prime Minister during his recent visit to Belgium regarding removing the name of Iraq from the list of countries with a high risk of money laundering?
* I am pleased to see that there is a will in the Iraqi government to take decisive action and initiate long-awaited economic reforms to ensure macroeconomic stability and diversification and to empower the private sector and investment.
The government's white paper outlines difficult but necessary reform steps towards achieving a diversified and dynamic economy that provides an opportunity for all Iraqis to lead a decent life. On the competition, the appointment of an executive director of the Reform Management Cell in the Prime Minister's Office.
I would like to assure you that the international community is committed to supporting the reform process, through the Iraqi economic liaison team for the Group of Seven industrialized countries, which I have been chairing since the first of November 2020, and that the international community is constantly calling on the Iraqi government to maintain the momentum of the reform process and implement the much-needed structural reforms In fact, it is important for Iraqis from all over the country and from all walks of life, men and women, to understand what is at stake, and that there is no alternative to reform as long as they want a better future for themselves and their children.
With regard to combating money laundering, the European Union is engaged in a continuous and constructive dialogue with the Iraqi authorities, especially with the Central Bank of Iraq, and indeed our common goal is to see Iraq removed from that list.
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[size=38]THE EUROPEAN UNION TALKS ABOUT THE IRAQI ELECTIONS AND THE NATO MISSIONWed, Aug 4, 2021 9:08 AM[/size]
Baghdad / National News Center
Today, Wednesday, the Ambassador of the European Union to Iraq, Martin Huth, affirmed the Iraqi government's support for holding the upcoming elections on schedule, and revealed preparations to send a European mission to monitor and ensure their integrity, while providing technical assistance to the Independent High Electoral Commission in the amount of 5.5 million euros.
Hote expressed his welcome to Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's call for a national dialogue that includes all segments of society, as well as the outcomes of the strategic dialogue with the United States, while pointing to the European Union's support for the white paper to initiate reforms aimed at diversifying the economy and enabling the private sector and investment.
This came during an interview conducted by the official newspaper with the ambassador, the text of which follows.
Do you think that the elections will be held on schedule and with sufficient transparency in light of regional instability and international interference?
* The Iraqi people have demanded early elections, and the government and parliament are committed to holding them on October 10, and we believe that all concerned foreign countries support the electoral process, and the Independent High Electoral Commission is working hard to complete technical preparations and is confident that everything will be ready for the elections on time. Therefore, we see no reason to postpone the elections further.
Of course, we in the European Union expect and demand that these elections be characterized by integrity, credibility and full transparency, and that they be held in an environment conducive to achieving these goals.
Does the European Union have fears of fraud in the upcoming elections? And what support does it provide to support these elections?
* Actual electoral fraud and attempted fraud must be reduced, whether at the technical or coercive levels, to the lowest possible level. What raises concern is the security and human rights environment in which the elections will be held. If protesters, activists and journalists continue to be threatened, targeted, or even assassinated, this will seriously harm Great for the reputation and integrity of elections, so it is essential that candidates feel safe enough to run, and voters feel secure that they can participate and vote in large numbers.
The European Union supports the elections in two ways, first, by providing technical assistance to the Independent High Electoral Commission through the United Nations for the preparation of the elections in the amount of (5.5 million euros), the European Union and its member states provide a large majority of international support to organize this entitlement.
Second, the European Union aims to strengthen the freedom and integrity of elections through international monitoring, at the invitation of the Electoral Commission, as it decided to send a European mission to monitor it, including international monitors, and it will be strengthened with the participation of the embassies of the European Union countries in Iraq, where they will be dispatched 6 weeks before the date of the elections In order to follow the preparations and the electoral campaign, they will be present in all parts of the country on election day and will remain to monitor the vote count and any court ruling that may be passed. A few weeks later.
What are the most important sectors of cooperation between Iraq and the European Union?
* The European Union, as a long-term partner of Iraq, remains committed to supporting the priorities of development and cooperation for the benefit of the Iraqi people. The strong demonstrations that have swept the country since October 2019 have highlighted the need for serious structural reform in order to bypass the oil-dependent economy, which is still not diversified and financially unsustainable, to combat endemic corruption and, most importantly, to combat the lack of job opportunities. There will be an understanding and acceptance of the need for these reforms not only from the Iraqi government, but also from the Iraqi citizen.
The future of any country lies in its children, and this is especially true for Iraq—more than
50% of the Iraqi population is under the age of 18, and nearly 60% is under the age of 25, and the large-scale demonstrations that swept across Iraq are an expression of the discontent and aspirations of the Iraqi youth. The Tishreen movement demands a system free of corruption, and rejects regional and international influence in Iraq, but also Demanding job opportunities and a clear perspective for the future of youth.
For our part, the European Union has a great participation in programs to support job creation - just this year, I signed agreements with the Minister of Planning in the amount of 220 million euros to support the socio-economic recovery in Iraq, create job opportunities and revitalize the economy, especially the agricultural sector, and this week, I was proud to assist the first Iraqi labor conference, launch a major joint EU-Germany private sector development initiative, and a workshop on WTO accession, these are just a few examples of strong
EU engagement .
In terms of security cooperation, the EU also has a large advisory mission in Iraq that provides strategic advice to the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the National Security Adviser in the area of
civilian security sector reform .
How do you evaluate Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's call for a national dialogue between the various Iraqi political parties?
* We support Prime Minister Al-Kazemi’s call for national dialogue. After the protests that began in October 2019, it is important for all Iraqis to come together and exchange views on what they want their society to be, and to formulate a social contract, as the national dialogue can be supportive of this process, and on Especially if it goes beyond political parties and includes segments of society.
- In your view, how did the outcomes of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States go, and the fate of the international coalition in Iraq?
* The United States is an important partner for Iraq and it is good to see both countries restarting their strategic dialogue last year, and we are pleased to see the successful conclusion of the last round of this dialogue, especially with regard to the presence of US military forces in Iraq.
As far as the international coalition to defeat ISIS, of which the European Union is a non-military member, is concerned, it is important to remember that its presence in Iraq came as a response to an urgent request from the Iraqi government, ISIS still represents a threat to Iraq, the region and the world, so we still see a role for the coalition in Iraq.
- What do you think of the Turkish violations in the Iraqi territories and the occupation of some areas? Does the European Union have a position on it?
* Although Turkey has the right to defend itself against the PKK elements present in northern Iraq, but any action must fully respect Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with strict adherence to international humanitarian law, as we would like to see better security cooperation between Turkey and the government Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government in this regard.
Has the European Union changed its policy towards Iraq after the events of the October 2019 demonstrations and changed governments after them?
* When the protests began, we re-evaluated some of our policies toward Iraq, for example, shifted our focus to helping Iraq prepare for elections, providing an opportunity for Iraqis to voice their concerns through the democratic process, as well as supporting the conceptualization of national dialogue and launching anti-corruption and sector-strengthening programs and help create jobs.
Did you notice any change in the foreign policy of the Iraqi government? And how do you evaluate Iraq's step in playing a pivotal role in calming regional conflicts such as Saudi Arabia and Iran?
* Although this approach in foreign policy has been in circulation for a period of time, we are now beginning to see the first tangible results of this approach, and this is a very positive development. Iraq, with its central location in the Middle East and the diversity of its population, is in an ideal place to play a constructive role in building bridges between his neighbours. We very much welcome the Iraqi mediation efforts, and we hope that these efforts will be of benefit not only to Iran and Saudi Arabia, but also to Iraq itself.
Will NATO be an alternative to the international coalition in Iraq?
* NATO cannot be a substitute for the international coalition to defeat ISIS. The mission of NATO in Iraq is non-combat aimed at strengthening the Iraqi security institutions to be able to prevent the return of ISIS, combat terrorism and achieve stability, and they do so by providing Iraq with training, advice and capacity building.
- The Iraqi government has bought large quantities of Russian weapons as a substitute for the shortage from American and European companies due to the missile attacks against military headquarters. How do you evaluate that?
* I am not qualified to offer opinions on Iraq’s policy in the field of military procurement, but I would like to stress that the ongoing attacks against military bases, civilian airports and even diplomatic representations are reckless and needless sabotage attempts by self-appointed defenders of Iraqi interests, and they threaten the stability of Iraq and its cohesion, and damage the prestige of the state.
These attacks also endanger the lives of Iraqis, and unfortunately they are often the main victims, and also contribute significantly to the international view of Iraq as a conflict area, which leads to alienation of foreign investors that Iraq desperately needs, and the vast majority of Iraqis understand this and do not support these
Reckless attacks.
How do you evaluate the economic performance of the Iraqi government? Were any agreements reached with the Prime Minister during his recent visit to Belgium regarding removing the name of Iraq from the list of countries with a high risk of money laundering?
* I am pleased to see that there is a will in the Iraqi government to take decisive action and initiate long-awaited economic reforms to ensure macroeconomic stability and diversification and to empower the private sector and investment.
The government's white paper outlines difficult but necessary reform steps towards achieving a diversified and dynamic economy that provides an opportunity for all Iraqis to lead a decent life. On the competition, the appointment of an executive director of the Reform Management Cell in the Prime Minister's Office.
I would like to assure you that the international community is committed to supporting the reform process, through the Iraqi economic liaison team for the Group of Seven industrialized countries, which I have been chairing since the first of November 2020, and that the international community is constantly calling on the Iraqi government to maintain the momentum of the reform process and implement the much-needed structural reforms In fact, it is important for Iraqis from all over the country and from all walks of life, men and women, to understand what is at stake, and that there is no alternative to reform as long as they want a better future for themselves and their children.
With regard to combating money laundering, the European Union is engaged in a continuous and constructive dialogue with the Iraqi authorities, especially with the Central Bank of Iraq, and indeed our common goal is to see Iraq removed from that list.
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