UK welcomes Iraq approval of three key pieces of legislation
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Feb 16, IRNA
UK-Iraq Legislation
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Saturday welcomed the progress by Iraq's parliament in approving three key pieces of legislation.
"The Council of representatives has this week taken three important and positive steps for the future of Iraq," Miliband said about the bills that were passed in a bundle on Wednesday.
The legislation included confirmation of the Dlrs 48 billion for 2008 financed mainly through oil revenues that was meant to have been agreed before the end of last and an Amnesty Law will benefit many of an estimated 25,000 detainees held in US and Iraqi prisons.
The third law on provincial powers defines the relationship between Baghdad and local authorities and paves the way towards a new round of provincial elections.
"There is now a clear desire on the part of Iraq's political leaders to reach out to each other in a spirit of compromise, and use the space created by the improved security environment to make real progress on reconciliation," Miliband said.
He voiced hopes that "this positive atmosphere continues," saying that "Political reconciliation is key to Iraq's development as a secure and stable country."
The bills are only three among what are seen as 18 benchmarks set by the US Congress to gauge the success of President George W Bush's strategy in Iraq.
A US report last July found satisfactory progress in only eight of the benchmarks.
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