Statement
by
H.E. Mr. Song Min-soon
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Republic of Korea
at
The Official Launch of
the International Compact with Iraq
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
3 May 2007
Statement by Mr. SONG Min-soon
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
of the Republic of Korea
at the Official Launch of
The International Compact with Iraq
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
3 May 2007
Your Excellency Prime Minister Nouri
Al-Maliki,
Your Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon,
Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit,
Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
On behalf of the Korean government, I wish to
express my deep appreciation to the governments of Egypt and Iraq, as well as the United Nations, for hosting this
important conference. Sharm el-Sheikh is
where numerous peace initiatives have been born in the past. I hope that this beautiful Sharm el-Sheikh
will also become a cradle for Iraq's peace and prosperity.
I would also like to thank His Excellencies
Dr. Barham Saleh and Mr. Ibrahim Gambari for their tireless work and remarkable
dedication in achieving the success of this Compact.
Distinguished guests,
Since the Madrid Conference in 2003, the
international community has actively supported Iraq in its efforts for national reconstruction. In this process, we have seen Iraq awakening from long isolation by adopting a new
Constitution and forming a democratically-elected government.
I believe today's launch of the International
Compact with Iraq is indeed a timely and crucial initiative for a new Iraq. The Compact
clearly reflects Iraq’s confidence in building a secure, unified, federal and democratic
country.
There is no doubt that the success of the
Compact hinges on the concerted efforts of the Iraqi people and the leadership
of Prime Minister Maliki to achieve a "national compact" for uniting
their country. The support of the
international community is also indispensable for reconstruction and
socio-economic development. We hope that
today's official launch of the Compact, together with the enlarged ministerial
meeting of Iraq's neighbouring countries tomorrow, will create a crucial momentum for
building peace and stability in Iraq and the Middle Eastern region as a whole.
Furthermore, I strongly believe that the peace
and stability of Iraq and the Middle East is closely linked to the peace and stability of
other parts of the world. After all, in
the globalized world, geographical distance is not so important. Korea will do its proper share.
Assistance for peace and reconstruction in Iraq takes up a very important place in Korea's foreign policy agenda. And on behalf of the
Korean government, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the
official launch of this compact and also offer our full support for the
Compact.
The Korean government has already fulfilled
over 85 percent of its $260 million commitment pledged at the Madrid Conference
in 2003. In addition, respecting the
agreement of the Paris Club, Korea has waived 80 percent of Iraq's debt to Korea that amounted to $2.6 billion. And Korean peace
& reconstruction troops stationed in Erbil, Iraq called the "Zaytun
contingent", has helped lay down the foundation for stability and
prosperity in northern Iraq since September 2004 by winning the hearts and
minds of the Iraqi people.
Distinguished guests,
We are now entering into an important phase in
rebuilding the future of Iraq and Korea plans to expand its assistance to Iraq in line with the International Compact with Iraq. In 2007, we
are disbursing the remaining $40 million of the assistance we pledged in Madrid.
Furthermore, our government has decided to set aside additional $200
million in grants and soft loans, in the years of 2008-2011, in order to
further support the Iraqi people in rebuilding their country.
We strongly believe in Iraq's National Development Strategy 2007-2010. This strategy encourages the active
participation of the Iraqi people in socio-economic activities as a core
element for achieving sustainable development. It also emphasizes the necessity
of involving all regions of the country in the overall development process
which we believe is crucial for balanced and sustainable development.
In expanding our assistance to Iraq, we will focus on the following priority areas:
First, we plan to provide sustained support
for the development of human resources in order to alleviate the serious
problem of widespread unemployment in Iraq.
Second, the Korean government plans to help Iraq improve the quality of life of its people. We look forward to expanding our clean water
and sanitation projects from the northern Iraq region to
other areas of the country.
Third, we will continue to share with Iraq the lessons and know-how gained from our own past
national development experience.
Fourth, my government will consider favorably
the option of further contributing to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund. In this regard, we would like to actively
support the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI).
In addition to such government assistance, we will seek ways to encourage our
private sector to increase their investments in Iraq as the security situation improves.
Distinguished guests,
We, Korean people, fully sympathize with the
Iraqi people as we too experienced war and the daunting task of rebuilding a
nation. We walked the long and arduous
road to economic development with the help of the United Nations and the
international community. As President Roh Moo-hyun said during the summit with
His Excellency Prime Minister Maliki in Seoul on 12 April, Korea will stand by its friend Iraq, as Iraq sheds the ashes of conflict and moves toward
obtaining the glow of a vibrant, stable and prosperous industrial country.
The Iraqi people have a proud history, dating
back to their long and splendid civilization of the ancient time. As we work together with this Compact, we
look forward to an Iraq becoming a beacon of peace and hope in the region. Korean people will remain a loyal friend of
the Iraqi people in this worthwhile endeavor.
Thank you.
//End//
