ISTANBUL - Iraq's neighbors prepared here Friday to voice their support to the new government in Baghdad and issue an appeal for full Sunni participation in the next stages of the political process in the conflict-torn country.
Diplomats from Iraq and its six neighbors -- Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- plus Egypt and Bahrain met to prepare the agenda for a meeting of their foreign ministers Saturday and drafted a joint declaration.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, who had said he wanted to attend the gathering, informed the Turkish hosts that he would be unable to come because of ongoing efforts to complete the government line-up.
After more than three months of political wrangling since landmark elections on January 30, Jaafari announced Thursday only a partial line-up that was approved by parliament but frustrated the Sunni Arab community.
Several key posts, including the oil and defence portfolios, have yet to be allocated. Jaafari insisted, however, that all major hurdles had been cleared and that a full 37-member cabinet list would be presented within days.
At the meeting in Istanbul, the ministers were expected discuss developments in Iraq since the elections and the next stages of the political process in the country, including the drafting of a constitution and preparations for elections in December, a senior Turkish government official said.
"Our main message will be that this process should move ahead smoothly and that the participation of those who did not take part in the previous elections, the Sunni Arabs, should be ensured.
"We see the political process in Iraq as very positive. The process should continue uninterrupted, but the problem of representation should be resolved," he said.
The ministers were also expected to discuss security matters such as the need to ensure that no militants infiltrate Iraq from neighboring countries to join the insurgency there, he said.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was scheduled to attend the meeting, which the Turkish hosts postponed twice earlier this month in anticipation of the new government in Baghdad.
"We believe Iraq's neighbors have an important and crucial role to help... in the stabilization of Iraq and of the region," Zebari told AFP in Baghdad.
In addition to regional cooperation, Zebari said he wanted to deal with the issue of "the infiltration of foreign fighters and terrorists and the transfer of funds and weapons" from neighboring countries into Iraq.
Baghdad has accused both Syria and Iran of allowing foreign fighters to cross their borders into Iraq.
Zebari said he would also take up the issue of how neighboring countries could benefit from "opportunities in the reconstruction" of his country.
The preparatory talks Friday ended earlier than scheduled, and Turkish officials reported that a compromise was easily reached on the text of the joint declaration to be issued Saturday.
The statement would emphasize support for the new government in Baghdad, a senior Turkish diplomat said.
Among other prominent points, it would call on regional countries to ensure the security of their borders and reaffirm the readiness of neighbors to help in the training of Iraqi security forces, he said.
Only Saudi Arabia's foreign minister was expected to be absent from Saturday's talks and represented by his deputy, organizers said.
The heads of the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference as well as the UN envoy to Iraq and a European Union representative were to attend the talks.
The foreign ministers have met regularly since January 2003, when Turkey spearheaded the initiative as part of efforts to force Baghdad to comply with UN resolutions and avert a US intervention.
04/29/2005 15:41 GMT