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Federal Minister Westerwelle welcomes partial lifting of UN sanctions on Iraq
Federal Minister Westerwelle today (16 December) issued the following statement on the UN Security Council’s partial lifting of key elements of the sanctions imposed on Iraq since 1990:
“This is an important milestone on Iraq’s journey to become once again a full and equal member of the community of nations. It should encourage Iraq to undertake further efforts so the remaining sanctions can be lifted as well. That will require notably an improvement in the country’s relations with Kuwait. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Germany will remain actively engaged with these issues.”
Twenty years after the start of the Iraq sanctions regime, the UN Security Council yesterday adopted three Resolutions ending notably the UN’s oil-for-food programme, which since 1995 had placed the country’s revenues from petroleum and gas exports under international control. The Security Council also ended arrangements intended to curb Iraq’s WMD activities as well as restrictions on the peaceful use of nuclear energy that had been in place since 1991. The partial arms embargo imposed in 2003 will continue, however. In Iraq’s relations with neighbouring Kuwait outstanding issues include border demarcation, a settlement of reparation claims and the return of missing persons and property.
The lifting of UN sanctions was one of the topics on Federal Minister Westerwelle’s agenda during his visit to Baghdad on 4 December.
As from 1 January 2011 Germany will serve a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.