Ki-moon vows to back Iraqi government

Baghdad – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the progress in the formation of new Iraqi government, and reiterated his support for the government and people of Iraq in their efforts to fight terrorist threat.

The statement came as the secretary-general was meeting with Iraqi President Mohammed Fuad Masum on the sidelines of the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly, which entered its third day here Friday.

“The secretary-general welcomed the progress made in the government formation process and underlined the importance of completing the formation of an all-inclusive government acceptable to all in Iraq, as soon as possible,” Ban’s spokesman told reporters here.

On Sept. 8, the Iraqi parliament approved the new cabinet led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for the next four years.

Ban “reiterated his support for the government and the people of Iraq in their efforts to combat the ISIL terrorist threat,” said the spokesman, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The terrorist group, whose fighters had seized vast swaths of territory in northern Iraq since June and announced the establishment of a caliphate in areas under its control in Syria and Iraq, recently released videos showing the beheadings of two American journalists and a British aid worker.

Meanwhile, “the secretary-general encouraged the government of Iraq to promote dialogue and cooperation with neighboring countries in order to consolidate stability in Iraq and in the region,” the spokesman said. “He underlined the importance of harmonizing the relationship between the Federal Government in Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government in Erbil.”

During the meeting, the secretary-general also exchanged views with Masum on the urgent humanitarian needs in Iraq.

“He welcomed the hospitality provided by Iraq to refugees from Syria, and also the assistance given to internally displaced persons in the Iraqi Kurdish Region,” the spokesman said. “He urged the government to make its funds available and said that the UN stood ready to provide as much support as it could.”

“He urged the government, once again, to expedite the finalization of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq’s Status-of- Mission Agreement,” the spokesman said.