Following the recent Resolution of the UN Security Council on Iraq welcomed by Brussels since it “reinforces the role of the United Nations as guarantor for the country’s political and economic reconstruction” the European Union proposed a new framework for relations between Europe and Iraq on 9 June. With this Communication, the Commission intends to pursue three short- and mid-term objectives: the development of a stable and democratic Iraq; the creation of an open, sustainable and diversified economy; and the economic and political integration of Iraq in the region and in the open international system. The EU strategy that can count on a budget of 1.25 billion Euros up till 2006 is divided into three phases: immediate actions; post-electoral period; and mid-term.
