IRAQ: The European Union has called for the United Nations to be given "a central role" in helping set up a post-war Iraqi regime as it seeks to limit Washington's control of Iraq's reconstruction. Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, reports from Athens
The Greek EU Presidency yesterday also reaffirmed the EU's "commitment to play a significant role in the political and economic reconstruction of the country", indicating that it does not want to be confined to supplying humanitarian relief.
The statement came amid European wariness over President Bush's call for the lifting of the 13-year-old economic sanctions against Iraq.
With the US eager to see Iraqi oil sales resume quickly, Mr Bush's call raised the issue of who controlled these oil sales and therefore, effectively, who controls the country. The sanctions issue is see as giving the UN some control over what happens in post-war Iraq, and is therefore an important bargaining chip in the attempt to assert a strong role for the UN.
In a comment suggesting the lifting of sanctions could be more than a formality, French President Jacques Chirac said: "Now it is up to the United Nations to define the modalities of the lifting of sanctions." The Athens Summit saw Europe's leaders seek to put divisions on the invasion of Iraq behind them and work to find ways in which it can work with the US in post-war Iraq.
In its statement, the Greek Presidency acknowledged that "at this stage". The US and Britain is responsible for ensuring a secure environment in Iraq. It called on them to ensure stability to allow for the provision of humanitarian assistance, particularly medical relief, and the protection of Iraq's cultural heritage and museums.
In its statement the Greek Presidency also reaffirmed the EU's "commitment to bring the Israeli/Palestinian Peace Process to a successful conclusion" through the implementation of the "road map" plan for the region. The United Nations Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, meanwhile signalled yesterday that he saw the immediate role for the UN in Iraq as being to bring humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people.
While many European leaders want the UN to take a central role in building the next Iraqi government, Mr Annan said such issues should only be undertaken "when the time is ripe", and that the immediate need now was for public order, safety and humanitarian relief.
Mr Annan was addressing a meeting of the European Conference, involving EU members, accession states and states bordering the European Union, including Russia.
The conference discussed the New Neighbours/Wider Europe initiative, which is designed to build relations between the enlarged EU and the states which will become neighbours of it once accession takes place on May 1st next year.
The Government's representative at yesterday's meeting, Mr Dick Roche, said that Ireland - which will hold the rotating EU Presidency next year when the new members join - strongly supported the idea of forging formal relationships with these "new neighbours".