BRUSSELS, Feb 21 (AFP) - The European Union agreed Monday to train up to 770 Iraqi judges, police and prison officials in a goodwill gesture to the United States as President George W. Bush sought to mend ties soured by the war in Iraq.
The training program is to take place in EU states or in the region but not in Iraq, EU foreign ministers said after regular talks, a day ahead of EU summit talks with Bush in Brussels.
A joint statement added that the EU could consider a training program inside Iraq if security in the violence-ridden country improves. The program will begin "as soon as possible," possibly by the summer, one diplomat said.
The widely anticipated offer came hours after Bush, in a keynote speech here, urged Europe to provide "tangible political, economic and security assistance" to Iraq following last month's elections.
Bush was making his first foreign trip abroad since beginning his second term in office in a bid to mend fences with the European Union.
The 2003 Iraq war sparked a serious rift between Washington and a group of European countries led by heavyweights France and Germany opposed to the conflict.
Successful elections in the restive country last month have helped the healing process as an eventual end to the US-led occupation moves nearer.
Given the divisions the invasion caused between some EU members, the EU's contribution as a bloc towards Iraq has so far mainly taken the form of cash for reconstruction and aid.
The EU has already provided 320 million euros for humanitarian aid, reconstruction and preparations for the January 30 elections and has plans to inject 200 million euros into Iraq's budget this year.
The EU training offer would aim to bolster the rule of law and human rights in the country, in a program calling for the training of 520 judges, investigating magistrates, senior police and prison officers as well as 250 investigating magistrates and senior police in criminal investigation.
A team of 16 people in Brussels is to hammer out the details of the program, which will have a budget of 10 million euros financed by the EU and member states.
Eventually the program could also have five people in Baghdad to coordinate relations with Iraqi officials.
Bush, in a speech to dignitaries in Brussels on Monday, urged Europe to do more to help Iraq stand on its own two feet.
"In the coming months, Iraq's newly elected assembly will carry out the important work of establishing a government, providing security, enhancing basic services and writing a democratic constitution," he said.
"Now is the time for established democracies to give tangible political, economic and security assistance to the world's newest democracy," he said.
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, whose country was among the fiercest opponents to the US-led invasion of Iraq, called for the United Nations to act as a "clearinghouse" to coordinate international help aimed at building up Iraq's institutions, according to a diplomat.
The EU ministers said they would be calling on the EU's executive commission to send a delegation to Iraq as soon as security conditions permitted.
They also said the EU wanted a "political dialogue" on subjects of mutual interest with Iraq's transition government which could include ministerial-level talks.
02/21/2005 17:27 GMT - AFP