In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Allow me, Mr. Secretary General, to begin by appreciating your efforts and initiatives, both, on the eve and in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq. My Government is confident that your vision and wisdom as well as your determination to uphold the rule of law at the international level is an enormous asset the international community should build upon. We are confident as well that the new initiative you have taken is a right step at the right time and deserve the wholehearted support of all parties who have a role to play with regard to the Iraqi crisis.

Undoubtedly, the former Iraqi regime was a threat as much to the Iraqi people as to Iraq's neighbors, and as such a destabilizing factor in the region. While my Government opposed the invasion of Iraq as a matter of principle, we did not fail to consider the ousting of Saddam Hussein from power, per se, to be a welcome development.

However, 7 months into the invasion and occupation of Iraq, we can, by no means, assume that the situation in that country is on the right track for the better and towards the political and economic reconstruction. The indecision and uncertainty as well as mistaken steps and faulty measures have been taking their toll and, thus far, provided excellent opportunities to elements of disorder and discouraged those, within and without Iraq, who could well be part of the solution.

While the new decision on an earlier transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people is a positive step in the right direction, it is mostly considered to be too little too late. Had it come about in time, there would have been no room for the remnants of the former Iraqi regime to interpret it as a sign of weakness and faltering resolve. Moreover, the new plan is yet to be subscribed to by all segments of the Iraqi society.

As a result, every thing in Iraq looks shaky and unsettled. The security is fragile to the extent that the occupying forces have walled themselves off the very people they intended to liberate. Almost all international civil servants left the country, bringing the activities of the international organization to a minimum. The reconstruction is yet to start. The international community is showing decreasing interest to enter into the fray. As a result, the coalition authorities, unable to control the situation, tend to resort to dangerous tactics, including leveling unfounded accusations against some regional countries, thus alienating those who could help address the situation.

Your initiative, Mr. Secretary-General, that brings us together today is all the more important against the backdrop of the today's reality in Iraq. There should be no doubt that Iraq’s neighbors have an enormous stake in the peace and stability in Iraq. While the neighbors have been directly affected by the developments in Iraq in the past 12 years and, at the same time, could have positive impact on the ground, the Security Council has mostly failed to hear our voice and take it into account in its decision making process.

My Government’s policy with regard to Iraq is guided by the understanding that our interests are best served by the restoration of peace and stability in Iraq, the respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the establishment of a democratically-elected and representative government in that country. The affinities between our two peoples have deep roots throughout history. And the continued instability in Iraq constitutes a destabilizing factor along our common borders and in the important Persian Gulf region. Thus, despite our criticism about the invasion and the handling of the situation in Iraq in the past several months, we have adopted a forward-looking and constructive policy, as exactly we did with regard to the situation in Afghanistan.

The least achievement that may transpire from this meeting and similar ones in the future would be a confidence-building or enhancing process among those, from the region and beyond, who have legitimate, direct interest in the return of stability and normalcy to Iraq and are prepared to play a positive role in that direction. We wish also to see a platform evolving from your initiative, with a great potential to develop into a useful mechanism for contributing effectively to the solution of the Iraqi crisis, in the same spirit that the Group of the 6+2 did in the case of Afghanistan.

The role of the UN is central and indispensable in the process, as it has been in the case of Afghanistan. At a time when the lack of a secure environment in Iraq has made a UN heavy footprint on the ground very difficult, we believe that the UN could fulfill its important political role from outside Iraq. At the same time, as emphasized time and again by the Iranian officials, our territory could serve as an appropriate conduit for the UN agencies involved in managing and supervising development and humanitarian activities inside Iraq.