The European Union's Dutch presidency pushed back Thursday against remarks by Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who had called on countries playing a passive role to do more to help rebuild Iraq. The comments, made during a Rome stop before an EU summit in Brussels, risked souring the atmosphere ahead of Allawi's meetings with European leaders.
French President Jacques Chirac withdrew from a scheduled lunch with Allawi, a move that drew irritation in Paris. Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot acknowledged the remarks were poorly chosen but urged a forward-looking tone: "The language used was not the most felicitous one."
Bot emphasized that the EU was already stepping up its engagement. Earlier that week, EU ministers agreed to release 30 million euros for Iraq's upcoming January elections, explore training programs for Iraqi police and judges, and contribute to funding a protection force for UN staff in Iraq. Talks on a trade and political agreement with Baghdad also began.
Bot framed the EU's involvement as a way to share the international burden, noting that internal divisions over Iraq had been resolved and the bloc now held a unified position on supporting the country's transition.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in November 2004, in its own words.