EU will work with Kuwait for success of KICRI: Mogherini
IOM official hails Kuwait’s humanitarian role
BRUSSELS: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini yesterday expressed her thanks to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for inviting her to represent the 28-member EU and co-chair Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI). “I am very grateful to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait for having invited me, as representative of the European Union, to co-chair the Conference. We will work together to make it a success, for the sake of the Iraqi people, but also for our entire region, including Europe. We all share an interest in a lasting stability and prosperity of Iraq,” she said in an exclusive interview. “In Kuwait, the European Union and the international community will confirm that we will stand by the people of Iraq, as they write a new page in the history of their country,” stressed the EU foreign policy chief.
She underlined that “in this delicate moment, the conference gathers all friends of Iraq, from the region and beyond, around one shared commitment; we want to support Iraq and the Iraqi people to rebuild the country - not just its buildings, but its society, its education system, its institutions.”
Critical juncture
Noting that Iraq is at a critical juncture of its history, Mogherini said “the government, army and people of Iraq worked hard for the territorial defeat of Da’esh. It is now time to consolidate the gains against Da’esh and ‘win the peace’, so we are ready to contribute - as we did so far - with our support to the stabilization and reconstruction of the country.” The EU High Representative lauded Kuwait as “a force for moderation and dialogue in the region.”
“Against the background of rising regional tensions, Kuwait’s engagement has helped prevent a greater escalation. It is a truly precious contribution, in difficult times like ours, and our cooperation has become even more intense than before,” she said. Mogherini highlighted that “Kuwait has also become an important humanitarian actor - not only in Iraq but also in Syria and elsewhere. It contributes to conflict resolution, early recovery and relief, with political, financial and logistical support.” She carried on saying that Kuwait’s recent decision to fund the UN agency UNRWA’s operations in Syria couldn’t be more timely, in a crucial moment for the Agency and for Palestinian refugees. “We are keen in this regard to strengthen our coordination with Kuwait, including within the United Nations Security Council, where the country is serving as nonpermanent member,” she said.
Mogherini announced that this year the EU will deepen its cooperation with Kuwait. “We see in Kuwait a partner and a friend in the Gulf region. We have intensified our relations over the past years, with the signature of a Cooperation Arrangement in 2016. This year I expect to deepen our common work on the economy, energy and humanitarian action,” she said.
Delicate moment
Turning to EU’s ties with the six-member GCC, she said “we have always valued our engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council as a forum, as well as with its individual members. The Middle East is going through a delicate and complex moment; there are some opportunities to take, such as the territorial defeat of Da’esh, but there is also great instability and the constant risk of new escalations. “It is more important than ever to keep all channels for dialogue open. The EU has good relations with all countries around the Gulf, and we are ready to contribute in any possible way to help establish a more positive regional dynamic,” the EU’s top diplomat said.
Mogherini said that the territorial defeat of the socalled Islamic State is a turning point in Iraq’s history, and it can give hope to the entire region. With investments of more than 650 million Euros ($796 million) since 2014, the EU is already a major supporter to Iraq, she added.
Humanitarian role
Separately, President of the International Organization of Migration (IOM) mission in Kuwait Iman Eriqat said yesterday that hosting Kuwait International Conference for Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) affirms its humanitarian standing and role in helping the Arab nations.
Eriqat said that Kuwait’s initiative and hosting of conferences confirms its leading humanitarian role in the world, through His Highness the Amir’s initiative to help support the humanitarian situation in Iraq and rebuild the war-torn country. Eriqat said that her UN mission participating in the conference comes to shed light on its previous achievements and efforts to support displaced Iraqis, through a presentation in exhibition on the sidelines of the conference, including showing the agency’s past efforts after Iraq’s war on the socalled Islamic State (IS).
Massive displacement
Eriqat said that Iraq is facing more than three years of massive displacement to its population in the north, amounting to nearly five million people because of that war, which resulted in heavy pressure to many other areas that have been shaken by war, adding that not only people that were displaced but war ruined infrastructure. Eriqat added that they are working on the process of returning those displaced Iraqis to their former homes and cities on all territories inside Iraq, adding that the liberated areas suffer from the destruction of its infrastructure, which requires the reconstruction of those areas.
The official stressed that aid and support provided by the State of Kuwait and other countries to the displaced Iraqis has contributed greatly to enable the UN mission to play its role, which facilitated the task of getting displaced people to various services they urgently needed.
On KICRI, Eriqat praised the large participation from various countries, regional, and international organizations, considering such big participation reflects on the importance of these events. Eriqat expressed hopes that the conference will have “positive results and best serve the interests of Iraqi people, and the process of development and progress moves forward in order to achieve security and stability in the region.”
We want to support the Iraqi people to rebuild their country