European Parliament`;s visit to Iraq cancelled

By Roger Alan, Brussels / Hussein Ali, Baghdad

Baghdad / Brussels, 13 February 2013 - An official visit of the European Parliament (EP) to Iraq which was set for this week has been cancelled by the European Parliament due to unwillingness of the Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki`;s Government to receive the EP delegation.

The EU Mission to Iraq had to take place from 11th to 15th February 2013 with a programme including meetings with officials in the Iraqi capital Bagdad and in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Region.

Sources around Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad told that the Iraqi government was notified about this visit through its embassy in Brussels months before. However, the officials from the European Parliament were surprised to found out that just one week before the visit there was no meeting that had been arranged.

The decision for cancelling the visit has been taken by the European Parliament`;s Conference of Presidents of all the political groups after noting that there was no desire from the Iraqi government to receive them.

According to the same sources in Baghdad and in Brussels, the Maliki government was fearful that the European Parliament would discuss several issues such as the failure of the government to secure basic needs for the people, the high corruption in the government, ongoing conflict with the Federal Kurdistan Region (KRG), the growing Iranian influence under Maliki`;s rule and the involvement in the Syrian conflict on the side of the Syrian regime.

The EU Mission to Iraq had to take place from 11th to 15th February 2013 with a programme including meetings with officials in the Iraqi capital Bagdad and in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Region.

Earlier, in 2010 another planned delegation of the EP to Iraq has also been cancelled.