Press encounter with the Secretary-General following his meeting with Vice President Tareq Hashimi of Iraq

SG: We will continue to stand by the Iraqi people and government in promoting security and fuller democracy, and also providing the necessary humanitarian assistance and promotion of human rights.

I would like to highly commend the achievement which the Iraqi people and government have achieved during the last few years, particularly over the very successful provincial elections that showed and that has demonstrated clearly to the world the capacity of your people that you can lead your own future by yourselves.

The election was Iraqi-led, Iraqi-owned, which was highly congratulated and commended by the whole international community. I am here to demonstrate such a strong solidarity of the United Nations with the people and government of Iraq. Such support will continue from the United Nations and from the international community.

There are still more things to be done by the Iraqi leadership. I would hope that, on the basis of what you have achieved now, there should be more reconciliation among the different parties and different factions, there should be more participatory democracy. That was a very important great step forward toward fuller democracy, but the international community expects much, much more. I am very proud of your people. I have had a good discussion with His Excellency, Vice President Hashimi, and I was very much impressed by his vision: how to lead this country by the Iraqi leaders themselves.

Q: I am asking if the elections took place with the international criteria?

SG: Yes, I think so. This election was fair and objective, with the participation of United Nations monitors and observers from others in the international community. In that regard, I would like to congratulate sincerely for that successful election. Mabruk, shukran jazeelan