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COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Baghdad, Iraq Baghdad, Iraq
PRESS RELEASE
ISSUED JOINTLY ON BEHALF OF THE CPA
AND MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mike Spiros, 1.914.822.4713 Thamir Al-Adhami, +964.790.192.2257
spirosm@orha.centcom.mil
spokesman@iraqmofa.net
Office of Strategic Communications Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Transitions to Full
Authority: A Major Step for the Transition Process
Baghdad, Iraq, 12 May, 2004 -- Full authority of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs was formally handed back to the Iraqi people today at a ceremony held at
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, III,
Coalition Provisional Authority Administrator, congratulated Mr. Hoshyar Zebari,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his staff for their many accomplishments,
including Iraq’s reinstatement into the Arab League, the United Nations, and
Organization of the Islamic Conference.
“Already for months, the professionals of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs
have been making their own decisions and acting upon them,” Ambassador Bremer
remarked.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already helped the CPA accomplish one of its
main goals and that is to build a new Iraq at peace with its neighbors and with
the International Community. For over 3 decades, Iraq's standing in the
international community had been steadily eroded by the disastrous foreign
policy of the former regime. In the Middle East alone, the former regime
agitated violence, intimidated Iraq's neighbors, fomented regional instability
and continued to pose a dangerous threat to the rest of the world.
Since his appointment in September 2003, Minister Zebari and his staff have
worked tirelessly to regain Iraq’s seat in all international organizations. The
Ministry has also successfully re-opened nearly fifty embassies world wide,
offering effective and open consular services in order to facilitate the
requests of Iraqi’s seeking help from their government.
Committing itself to reforming and modernizing diplomatic practices, the
Ministry has begun nurturing a new working culture that embodies the principles
of equal rights, democracy and good governance. Along with a proactive policy of
internal reform, young Iraqi men and women, selected on merit, are currently
engaged in training programs around the world to develop a new cadre of
professional diplomats to represent the integrity and ideals of the new Iraq.
Addressing the assembled guests, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari remarked:
"today's ceremony was an important milestone in the Ministry's campaign to
restore sovereignty to Iraq and promote an independent foreign policy. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is proud to serve the Iraqi people, and we are
committed to achieving our goals to reform the ministry, and its activities, and
put Iraq back on the international map where it rightly belongs as a responsible
and strategic member".
Taking place in the Ministry’s newly renovated auditorium, the ceremony’s
notable guest list included Ambassador David Richmond, the United Kingdom’s
Special Representative; Ambassador Ronald Neuman, Director of Foreign Affairs
for the CPA; Iraqi Governing Council members Dr. Adnan Pachachi, Dr. Seyyid
Muhammed Bahr ul-Uloom, Amhed al-Bar'rak, and Dr. Raja Habib Khuzai; Samir
Sumaidy, Iraqi Minister of Interior; heads of the International Diplomatic Corps
in Iraq; and heads of International Organizations operating in Iraq.
Notes to Editors:
1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively pursuing the following
objectives:
o Protect Iraq's security, stabilize the country and preserve Iraq's territorial
integrity;
o Restore international diplomatic bilateral relations and re-engage the
international community in Iraq's reconstruction and development;
o Reconstruct our economy and infrastructure to raise the standard of living of
the Iraqi people;
o Reactivate Iraq's diplomatic missions and promote Iraqi interests in all
political, economic, social and cultural fields;
o Rejoin, and engage in, all multi-lateral bodies;
o Reform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its activities based on new values
and principles;
o Pursue our chosen path of democratization within the framework of sovereignty,
unity and equal citizenship.
2. Since September 2003, Iraq has successfully re-established its seat in most
multilateral bodies including the Arab League, United Nations General Assembly,
the Organization of Islamic Conference, G77, International Monetary Fund,
Non-Aligned Movement, OPEC, Regional Conference of Iraq’s Neighboring Countries,
UNESCO, UNCTAD, World Bank, and the World Trade Organization.
3. Additional information on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be found on
their website, http://www.iraqmofa.net
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