Maliki:Kirkuk Iraqi identity must remain dominent rather than other identities

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Premier Nouri al-Maliki stressed that "holding the meeting of the Council of Ministers in Kirkuk is a part of the government’s efforts to follow up the provinces’ problems and to reach appropriate solutions to them in addition to enhance the services in line with the law as happened in the Council of Ministers’ meeting which was held in Basra."

Maliki said in the opening speech of the meeting in Kirkuk, Tuesday morning "Kirkuk city has special features since it represents the microcosm of Iraq and example of peaceful co-existence among all Iraqis and this coexistence will continue among its communities.’

The premier continued saying "Kirkuk’s problem cannot be settled through using force and dictations, but through its people’s will, and its identity should be purely Iraqi not any other," calling "to invest the province’s natural resources to achieve prosperity, development and stability to its citizens."

The meeting was attended by Kirkuk’s Governor, and its Provincial Council’s head and the head of the Security Committee.