Sharm el Sheikh (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The International Conference on Iraq closed yesterday after two days of discussion in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, with a promise made by bordering countries to help the Baghdad government regain stability in the country. The final statement, from the second meeting on May 4th, which drew together ministers from Iraq’s neighbours, members of the G8 group, the UN security council, the Arab league and the Organization of the Islamic Conference – lays out 19 points of common accord and commitment to “combat terrorism in all its forms, stop the flow of arms and terrorists into Iraq and strengthen collaboration between Iraq and neighbouring nations to increase controls of the borders”.
The document also underlines a commitment to the principal of non interference and increased support to the government to help speed up the formation of an Iraqi security force in order to “prepare the round for the end of the multinational forces mandate”. Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters that the participants, among them Syria and Iran, debated at some length over the establishment of a timetable for foreign troop withdrawal, but in the final document the issue remains linked to the preparation of an Iraqi force.
Expectations of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Sharm summit between the Iranian foreign minister and the US secretary of state were quashed. The White House reported that the only contact between the two nations was a brief meeting between the US ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker and the Iranian deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
The Conference which is widely considered “a great step forward” also established a working group which will oversee border controls, refugees and the issue of energy. A second summit on Iraq is already in programme, this time to take place in Istanbul Turkey.