Iraq PM criticises neighbours for lack of support

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Malikirebuked neighbouring states on Tuesday for not doing enough tostrengthen ties with Baghdad, write off Iraq's debts or stopmilitants entering the war-torn country.

In a hard-hitting speech at a meeting in Kuwait of foreignministers from Iraq's neighbours and Western powers, Malikirattled off a list of grievances his government had.

Maliki did not name any countries but his remarks appearedaimed at Sunni Arab countries which have only low-level tieswith his Shi'ite-led government.

"It's difficult for us to explain why diplomatic ties havenot been resumed with Iraq, which got rid of a dictatorship,"Maliki said at the start of the one-day meeting.

"Many other foreign countries have kept diplomatic missionsin Baghdad regardless of security considerations."

No ambassador from any Sunni Arab nation is stationedpermanently in Baghdad. Visits by top officials from Arabstates, which have been reluctant to extend full legitimacy toIraq's U.S.-backed government, are also rare.

By comparison, Iraq has growing ties with Shi'ite Iran.

The Kuwait meeting is a follow-on from gatherings of Iraq'sneighbours as well as permanent members of the U.N. SecurityCouncil that were held in Turkey and Egypt last year. The talksare aimed at helping stabilise Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is at themeeting, has said she would push hard for Arab neighbours to"meet their obligations" and step up financial and diplomaticsupport that has not been forthcoming since the 2003 invasion.

About $66.5 billion of Iraq's foreign debt has beenforgiven, according to State Department estimates. Of theestimated $56 billion (28.3 billion pounds) to $80 billion debtthat remains, more than half is owed to Gulf countries, thedepartment said.

Maliki said Iraq was still waiting for relief of debt andcompensation owed as a result of former leader Saddam Hussein's1990 invasion of Kuwait.

"The cancelling of debts and the suspension of compensationthat Iraq pays would present a positive message to Iraq'speople that there is a real wish to help them overcome crisesand speed up reconstruction," Maliki said.

Iraq's recent attempts to crush Shi'ite militias will alsobe a central topic at the meeting and Maliki is expected tourge Arab countries to back those efforts.

A draft of a statement to be issued on Tuesday at themeeting said participants "welcome the Iraqi government'scommitment to disarm and dismantle all militias and illegallyarmed groups, enforcing the rule of law, and ensuring thestate's monopoly on armed forces."

The statement, obtained by Reuters, also urged the"maintaining or opening of diplomatic missions in Iraq".

Promises have been made by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to openup embassies in Baghdad and the U.S. hope is that if Riyadhannounces firm plans and dates then others will follow.

Many Arab states have cited security concerns for theirreluctance to open embassies in Baghdad after Egypt's envoy towas kidnapped and killed in 2005.

After several hours of meetings with Arab ministers inBahrain on Monday, Rice got a lukewarm response to her appealfor embassies to open but she told reporters the process wasmoving forward and Iraq was gaining acceptance in the region.

(Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal; Writing by DeanYates in Baghdad, editing by Samia Nakhou;)