US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2490

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002490 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, AORC, TU, IZ, IR, EG, JO, SY, KU, BA, SA 
SUBJECT: JOINT STATEMENT FROM ISTANBUL IRAQ NEIGHBORS 
MEETING 
 
 
1. On May, 2, the Turkish MFA passed us a copy of the text of 
the joint statement from the April 29-30 Iraq neighbors' 
meeting (full text in para. 2).  We will provide MFA's 
readout of the meeting septel. 
 
2. Joint statement follows (original was in English): 
 
BEGIN TEXT (note internal paragraph numbering) 
 
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE 
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES OF IRAQ AT THEIR EIGHTH OFFICIAL 
MEETING (Istanbul, 30 April, 2005) 
 
Upon the invitation of Turkey, the Ministers of Foreign 
Affairs or Heads of Delegation of the countries neighboring 
Iraq, as well as of Iraq, met in Istanbul, Turkey, on 29 and 
30 April, 2005, to assess the new situation in Iraq following 
the general elections that were held on 30 January, 2005, and 
to extend their full support to the transition process. 
 
The countries that participated at this Ministerial Meeting 
were the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the 
Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Iraq, the Hashemite 
Kingdom of Jordan, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi 
Arabia, the Arab Republic of Syria and the Republic of Turkey. 
 
The Meeting was opened by His Excellency Recep Tayyip 
Erdogan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey. 
 
His Excellency Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Special Representative 
of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, attended 
the Meeting. 
 
His Excellency Amre Moussa, Secretary-General of the Arab 
League, and His Excellency Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, 
Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic 
 
SIPDIS 
Conference, participated in the meeting.  The European 
Commission was also represented. 
 
The Ministers and the Heads of Delegation, 
 
1. Recalled their previous seven official and two informal 
meetings since the Regional Countries Initiative was launched 
in Istanbul on 23 January, 2003, and reiterated their 
determination to work in concert for the freedom, peace and 
stability for Iraq. 
 
2. Reaffirmed the sovereignty, independence, territorial 
integrity and national unity of Iraq as well as the 
principles of non-interference in each other's internal 
affairs and good-neighborliness. 
 
3. Equally affirmed the right of the Iraqi people to 
determine freely their future and to exercise full national 
control over their natural and financial resources. 
 
4. Welcomed in this respect the holding of the general 
elections on 30 January, 2005, for the Transitional National 
Assembly and the subsequent election of the National Assembly 
Speaker, the President and the Presidential Council, the 
appointment of the Prime Minister and the formation as well 
as the endorsement of the Transitional Government.  They 
pledged to support and cooperate with the newly elected 
Transitional National Government, and they reaffirmed to 
promote Iraqi transition to a united, democratic and 
pluralistic state, with a federal structure if so decided by 
the Iraqi people. 
 
5. Expressed their strong desire that these elected bodies 
will be fully instrumental in pursuing and completing the 
political transition in an inclusive, transparent and 
democratic manner which will ensure effective participation 
of the entire spectrum of the Iraqi people in the political, 
economic and social rebuilding of Iraq. 
 
6. Reiterated the importance of bringing to justice all those 
in the leadership of the previous Iraqi regime who have 
committed crimes against humanity to the Iraqi people and war 
crimes against Iran and Kuwait. 
 
7. Expressed their hope that the momentum generated by the 
endorsement of the transition timetable by the UN Security 
Council in its resolution 1546, and the January 30 elections 
is maintained and the process is brought to its successful 
conclusion with the constitutional referendum and the new 
general elections that will follow. 
 
8. Stressed the pivotal role the United Nations should play 
in this new phase where consensus-building and articulation 
of a unifying constitution by the Iraqis will become 
paramount. 
 
9. Consequently agreed that the United Nations Assistance 
Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) should serve as a focal point in 
receiving and processing political and donor assistance to 
the transition process. 
 
10. Welcomed the increasing presence of the United Nations 
staff in Iraq also through the opening of provincial liaison 
offices, and expressed the necessity for the United Nations 
to establish itself more firmly and broadly on the ground in 
monitoring and assisting the political process and economic 
rehabilitation. 
 
11. Expressed their strong support to the Special 
Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq in 
carrying out his tasks. 
 
12. Drew attention to the vital importance of fully 
establishing security and stability in Iraq and strongly 
condemned the terrorist acts aimed at the Iraqi people, the 
stabilization efforts, nascent Iraqi security forces, 
political and religious leaders and establishments, including 
holy sites, as well as foreign citizens and institutions 
providing assistance to and in economic interaction with Iraq. 
 
13. Recalled that the mandate of the Multinational Force in 
Iraq is conditioned by the provisions of operative paragraphs 
4 and 12 of the UN Security Council Resolution 1546, 
according to which the Government of Iraq will decide on its 
termination, and expressed their strong expectation that the 
Iraqi security forces will soon be able to achieve the 
capacity and the level of readiness to fully take over the 
security responsibility in the country. 
 
14. While reiterating their own commitment, called on all 
other interested countries to respond to the request of Iraq 
to train and support the Iraqi security forces in their 
rebuilding. 
 
15. Noted the importance of the commitment of the 
Multinational Force to act in strict compliance with the 
international humanitarian law, in particular, the Geneva 
Conventions. 
 
16. Expressed their determination, also in the light of the 
conclusions of the Interior Ministers Meeting of Iraq's 
Neighbors which was held between 30 November and 1 December, 
2004, in Tehran, to increase their cooperation on the overall 
border security with Iraq, including effective monitoring of 
the borders, strict controls at border entry points and cross 
border movements and exchange of intelligence with Iraq, with 
the primary aim of stemming terrorist and other illegal 
infiltrations to and from Iraq. 
 
17. Agreed, with this dedicated purpose, to convene the 
Second Meeting of the Interior Ministers of the Neighboring 
Countries in Turkey soon. 
 
18. Further reiterated that the inviolability of these 
borders is a major requirement of international law and their 
full respect will serve as a significant confidence-building 
measure in their region's future. 
 
19. Supported the efforts of the Transitional Government of 
Iraq to fulfil its responsibilities and expressed their 
conviction that through the continuation of the political 
process, the Iraqi Government emerging from the nationally 
endorsed permanent constitution will live in peace with its 
neighbors, in compliance with all relevant bilateral and 
international commitments. 
 
20. Reaffirmed their conviction that the Neighboring 
Countries Initiative, which has now evolved into a 
well-established framework of regional coordination and 
cooperation, will continue to serve Iraq in its national 
rebuilding efforts and strengthen regional peace, stability 
and solidarity to ensure security in the area. 
21. Welcomed the supportive role of the international 
community in Iraq's political transition, and, in this 
context, the institutional involvement of the Organization of 
the Islamic Conference, the Arab League and other regional 
and international organizations. 
22. Expressed their satisfaction at the increasing 
international interest shown for Iraq through different 
formats such as the Sharm El Sheikh Meeting that took place 
on 23 November, 2004, and welcomed the prospective conference 
to assist Iraq that is expected to take place in Brussels 
next summer, and expressed their readiness to contribute to 
these multilateral undertakings. 
 
23. Noted the request of Iraq for the cancellation or 
reduction of their sovereign debt. 
 
24. Expressed their appreciation to Turkey for hosting this 
Ministerial Meeting. 
 
25. Welcomed the invitation extended by the Islamic Republic 
of Iran to host the next Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of 
the Countries Neighboring Iraq. 
 
END TEXT 
 
3. Iraq posts minimize considered. 
EDELMAN