Brussels, 21/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 20 January, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton stated that the general elections in Iraq at the end of April will be “a crucial test for Iraq's democracy”. “I hope that the country's political leaders will seize this opportunity to promote dialogue and compromise”, Ashton said at the end of a meeting with Iraq's Foreign Affairs Minister Hoshyar Zebari. Violence and killings continue in Iraq. “Regional instability and the conflict in Syria are contributing to tensions inside Iraq, making it even more urgent to address the root causes of violence through an inclusive political process”, Ashton added. “Very concerned” about the humanitarian situation in areas affected by the recent fighting, she said that it is “vital that everything possible is done to protect the civilian population from further violence”. Ashton reiterated the EU's support for the government in its fight against terrorism and in addressing the security challenges, particularly in the west of Iraq. She condemned the increasing number of attacks in Iraq, most recently on 16 January, stating that “the increasing number of attacks, which seek to worsen sectarian tensions and undermine Iraq's stability, is a matter of grave concern”.
The meeting between Ashton and Zebari was held on the sidelines of the very first EU-Iraq Cooperation Council, which enabled the two parties to reaffirm their commitment to continue strengthening their relations. According to the European Commission, the meeting saw progress on implementing the partnership and cooperation agreement, currently applied provisionally, and it enabled possible areas for future cooperation to be examined. Concrete implementation of the agreement began in 2013 with the holding of three technical sub-committee meetings on energy and related issues, trade and related issues, and democracy and human rights. (CG/transl.fl)