Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Vladimir Safronkov at the UN Security Council meeting on Iraq
Mr. President,
We thank Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert for her substantive and objective briefing. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq that you are the Head of plays a vital role in helping the Iraqi authorities to solve a package of issues related to national reconciliation and rebuilding of the economy. We proceeded from these facts when we supported resolution 2470 of the Security Council that should extend the UNAMI mandate for another one-year term.
Historically, stability in Iraq has been crucial for the entire Middle East region. To strengthen this stability falls into the interests of the global community. In this regard, we take notice of the attempts to drag the country in artificial confrontation, created around the Islamic Republic of Iran that are absolutely counter-productive and unacceptable. They will inevitably have a negative impact on the domestic situation in Iraq and in the region.
Escalation in the Persian Gulf should be stopped immediately, confrontation should give way to dialogue and negotiations that would address the existing concerns.
Iraq has the right to build and develop normal relations with all of its neighbors. We welcome the consistent policy of Baghdad related to maintaining good neighborly relations with the regional partners, among them Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia. In this regard, the recent inter-parliamentary conference in Baghdad was of utmost importance, as it brought together representatives of Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as Turkey, Jordan, Kuwait and Syria. We believe this is promising momentum that should be sustained.
We specifically point out the stance and engagement of Iraqi and Kuwaiti as they strived to restore the historical justice and overcome the negative implications of the First Gulf War. We welcome progress achieved in the framework of “Iraqi-Kuwaiti” humanitarian dossier that focuses on establishing the fate of those missed and on addressing the issue of Kuwaiti property. It is reassuring that the countries positively cooperate on these issues.
We realize that the government of Iraq will have to do a lot in order to build on the positive momentum. We believe the international community should relentlessly support steps of the Iraqi leadership.
We need consistent targeted work aimed at settling disputes between different ethnical and religious components of the republic, strengthening of the unity of the Iraqi nation and integrity of the State. We give a positive assessment to the progress in getting Baghdad and Erbil back to common ground. This progress should continue.
We cannot allow that another experiment, no matter where it should come from, undermine the results at the counter-terrorist front that were achieved at a high cost. It is all the more so, since the security threats in this area remain.
We are interested in prompt eradication of threat posed by ISIS and by terrorism at large. We are convinced: we can effectively withstand this threat only given broad coordination of counter-terrorist efforts. We proceed from the assumption that all stakeholders who combat terrorism in Iraq should respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi State and coordinate their actions with the authorities in Baghdad. Steps made should correspond to the goals set, and the goal is to combat terrorism and help the government of Iraq stabilize the situation.
Russia will continue its support for the efforts of the leadership of Iraq on the security track and on lasting normalization in the country both in political and practical terms.
Russia and Iraq are connected by lasting traditions of military and technical cooperation that should increase Iraq’s defense potential, i.a. in countering terrorist threats. The Information Center in Baghdad established by Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria does important work on countering terrorism and maintaining regional security.
We expand mutually beneficial commercial and economic ties, including in energy and in humanitarian area.
End of April this year Baghdad hosted a regular session of Iraqi-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on trade, economic, research and technical cooperation. We will build on these connections.
The recent contacts between Russian and Iraqi representatives at the highest and high levels in Moscow and Baghdad confirmed that our governments are on the same page regarding many global and regional issues. Above all, we share the view that crises must be solved via dialogue, in the framework of collective efforts and policy of good neighborliness that Iraq consistently sticks to.
We stand open to such interaction with all interested regional and international partners. We believe promotion of security and cooperation architecture in the Middle East would to a large extent support our efforts. The corresponding Russian initiative on the Persian Gulf, in our view, is gaining on relevance. Let me remind once again that the Secretary-General has a mandate to develop regional security- and confidence-building measures in cooperation with regional stakeholders according to resolution 598 of the UN Security Council. It is time this mandate was finally implemented.
In conclusion let me give a positive assessment to the interaction between UNAMI and the authorities of Iraq. Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert, you can fully count on our support.
Thank you.