Jana Hybášková wants EU to become Iraq’s key partner

BRUSSELS / IraqiNews.com: Jana Hybášková, the newly-appointed head of the European Union mission to Iraq, said that her main task is to make the EU Iraq’s key partner. She is taking up her duties on 1 May. For this reason, she was invited to an “in camera” meeting with members of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the European Parliament (EP) and stated that the EU should be a key partner of Iraq. The EU has to empower the democratically-elected Iraqi parliament and support democratic control, she said. She noted that it is of utmost importance to foster European values, support democracy and show why democracy is important. On the other hand, she emphasized that the political situation in Iraq remains precarious because some key ministerial positions are not filled yet. “The EP can also play an important role. Most importantly, it has an influence on the budgetary situation as it controls the budget. This way it can also play a role in shaping the financial facilities the EU uses in its foreign transactions,” she said. SH (TS)/AmR 724