Today's Date:

Over a year has passed since the United Nations passed UNSCR 1546.

Twelve months during which hope has returned within Iraq, thanks to the democratic courage of the Iraqi people themselves who, in January this year, gave themselves for the first time a government elected by universal suffrage.

But as we all know, democracy is fragile. The violence daily striking Iraqi civilians tragically reminds us that the process under way in Iraq is taking place in a very difficult environment. This is why, confronted by the present and future challenges, today the time has come to renew our promise by giving our common commitment new concrete content.

First of all, to consolidate the democratic transition, we must first reaffirm clearly, and collectively, our confidence in the Iraqi government and its action.

More than ever, its representatives need our solidarity to carry through the transition under way. So we must listen to the Iraqis and respond to their expectations with specific and tailored proposals.

In this collective effort, we can count on her people, who want to live in peace and devote themselves to her development. They believe in democracy and are keen to play their part in it, as demonstrated by the high turnout on 30 January this year.

Secondly, yes, there is in Iraq an expectation, a hope and a desire to rebuild. And while it is, naturally, up to the Iraqi authorities themselves to fulfil them, France wishes to participate in their efforts and encourage them.

In our eyes, it is by seeking the broadest support of all the different components of the Iraqi people, in their rich diversity, that it will be possible to defeat the risk of an ethnic split conducive to violence and division.

In this respect, the Iraqis will soon have to draw up a Constitution, and all citizens will have to be able to see as their own this founding text which will have to govern, very probably for a long time, their and their country's future.

Finally, it's in the same spirit, one of working together and partnership, that France has supported the idea of a new mechanism for coordinating international assistance, which the Iraqis themselves must be in charge of.

Indeed it is for the Iraqis themselves to define the priorities of their country's reconstruction, express their real needs and expectations so that the international community may provide the most appropriate responses.

France and the European Union have constantly worked with this end in view, throughout the discussions which will soon lead, in Amman, to the establishment of this new mechanism for coordinating international assistance.

But to live in security in their country, Iraqis must also be able to rely on greater political stability and on effective police and judicial institutions respecting the rule of law.

France has actively committed herself to helping them: our country is the leading contributor to the European Union-financed training programme, and from this summer our police training colleges will be taking in several dozen Iraqi police officers.

We are also working within the Atlantic Alliance, since we have decided to contribute up to €500,000 to the fund for training Iraqis outside Iraq.

Finally, and this message is addressed especially to my Iraqi colleague – France is fully prepared to contribute in France to training Iraqi security forces. We still have, of course, to spell out the terms and conditions of this training, which we shall do when the group of experts mandated by your country comes to France, very probably between now and the end of June./.