Following a request from the new Iraqi Transitional Government, an international conference with Iraq, co-hosted by the European Union and the United States, will be held at Foreign Minister level in Brussels on 22 June.
The aim of the conference is to provide a forum for the new Iraqi Transitional Government to present its priorities, vision and strategies for the transition period leading up to the next round of elections towards the end of the year. It is also an opportunity to mobilize international support for the Iraqi Transitional Government and its institutions.
Iraq will lead the discussions in these three areas and is expected to bring a large delegation representing a wide range of interests and communities.
Over 80 countries and international organisations have been invited. When President Bush visited Brussels on 22 February, the EU and the US agreed to offer to host an international conference on Iraq if the Iraqis so wished. The Iraqi Transitional Government has now written to the EU and the US and asked that such a conference be held to provide Iraq with a vehicle to engage with the international community.
