Brussels, 25/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 24 July, the EU welcomed “the progress that has been made in the Iraqi political process (…) with the election of Mr Fuad Masum as President of Iraq by the Iraqi Council of Representatives by an overwhelming majority” the same day. Kurdish politician Fuad Masum won 211 votes out of 228. “This is a further step in the right direction towards a political solution being found to the crisis in Iraq”, a spokeseperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton told EUROPE.
Ashton's spokesperson stated that the EU was encouraging Iraq's political players to keep up the momentum and to focus on the appointment of the prime minister, who should be a member of the Shi'ite community.
Violence in the country continues, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has reportedly ordered women and girls between the ages of 11 and 46 in the Mosul region - some 4 million - to undergo genital mutilation. (CG)