“I can’t say Iraq is a stable country, but, compared with one and a half years ago, we have seen significant progress”. It was said by the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, in Brussels, during a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the European Parliament and the EP delegation for relations with Iraq, the first step in his visit to the European institutions and Nato. Maliki dealt with several points, lingering in particular on the provincial ballot next October: "the militias he said will not interfere. The rejection of their presence has been accepted by all parties. Even the refugees will be put in a position to cast their votes, which will be free and fair, and the technical measures required are being prepared". As to the retreat of the coalition troops from Iraq, the Prime Minister said he is confident that "a sudden retreat from the country would result in confusion within it", so this "should be prepared and agreed ahead of time". "Iraq he then repeated is not a field in which regional interests are developed. I asked the neighbouring countries to stop being a training ground for terrorists". Finally, as to Al Qaeda, Al Maliki was curt: "we have never been so confident that we may defeat it. We want to defeat terrorism".” “” “
