Iraq neighbors’ interior ministers in Sharm el-Sheikh conference stress efforts to maintain Iraq’s unity, security, stability

Second Deputy Premier Prince Naif says achievements are not made by sheer hopes, standing by Iraq is religious, ethical and human duty

Saudi Arabia, Egypt sign two deals for cooperation on extradition of convicts, combating drug trafficking and money laundering

Iraqi foreign minister Zebari says talks with Syria stopped

Interior Ministers of Iraq's neighboring countries concluded in Sharm Al-Sheikh their sixth meeting.

Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led his country's delegation to the meeting.

A final communiqué issued by the meeting said ministers of interior of Jordan, Iran, Bahrain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait and Egypt attended the meeting at an invitation of the host country. Representatives of the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Arab League were also present.

The participants underscored the importance of respecting Iraq's integrity, independence and Arab and Islamic identity and rejected any claim justifying interfering in its affairs.

They lauded the achievements reached over the past period in terms of security, describing them as paving the way for political reforms and development promotion.

However, the conferees acknowledged the difference of views on the implementation of the basics and principles of supporting Iraq and called for the need for consultation to solve such complications.

They agreed to Iraq's view that keenness to save the souls of Iraqis from terror is a common humanitarian responsibility.

They reiterated the call by the previous meetings that no neighbor of Iraq should offer its territories as a harbor or corridor for the residence or passing of terrorists against Iraq.

The statement condemned the recent bloody explosions in Iraq and all forms of terrorist activities that threaten the safety and security of the country.

The conferees called for activating the mechanisms of cooperation and coordination between Iraq and its neighbors in the joint security issues through commitment to the agreements, memoranda of understanding and security cooperation whether bilateral or multilateral to achieve security and stability in the region.

They called for enhancing the diplomatic and legal mechanisms to extradite terrorists in Iraq and some neighboring countries to it.

They also called for exchange of information about terrorist activities.

The media sometimes deliberately helps the spread of deviant thought, the communiqué said, calling for the integration of border security systems of Iraq's neighboring countries. It called for the support of Iraq's police quality based on the ability of each country.

They called for underscoring the correct concept for the principles of Islam which calls for tolerance, peace and stability.

They expressed appreciation of the efforts exerted by the United Nations, Islamic Conference Palace and the Arab League for the stability and peace of Iraq.

The statement called for activating the security cooperation signed between Iraq and its neighbors in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2006.

The conferees expressed thanks to and appreciation of President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt for the warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded to them and the accompanying delegations.

Under the chairmanship of Egypt's Minister of Interior Habib Al-Adli and in the presence of representatives of the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Arab League, Interior Ministers of Iraq's neighboring countries had started in Sharm Al-Sheikh on Wednesday their sixth meeting.

Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led his country's delegation to the meeting.

Addressing the gathering, Prince Naif confirmed that the changes, incidents and developments taking place in Iraq and its surroundings should conduce to more efforts on all the concerned in the region and the world at large to work with every seriousness and credibility to reach an acceptable diagnosis of the problems facing Iraq.

Our religion, values, ethics and humanitarian feelings necessitate our strong support for the people of Iraq to overcome their woes and ordeal. However, such need by Iraqis should not be a pretext for some others to find justification for their interfering in Iraq's domestic affairs. Iraq's self-determination should be left to Iraqis, Prince Naif said.

He called for intellectual security that fights the thoughts of deviant groups and wipes them out of history. He gave an account of the unacceptable deeds of the deviants, putting them in the position of the nation's enemies.

In this regard, he called for an agreement among Iraq's neighboring countries not to offer refuge for those terrorists.

Prince Naif said the foreign members of the group could have not reached Iraq without passing through a third station.

In this regard, he shed light on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's experience in fighting them at the cradle Islam and home of the two holy mosques.

The call should not confine to Iraq given today's situation, but we have to protect all our countries from being harmed by a neighbor in future, he concluded.

For his part, Al-Adli said the challenge before Iraq's neighboring countries is their ability to overcome the difference in views of all parties and how to build on aspects of agreement and joint interests.

Prince Naif and Minister Adli signed on Wednesday two security agreements. The first one was on the exchange of those convicted with penalties of deprivation of freedom, hoping to establish cooperation in the transfer of the convicted citizens of both countries to spend the remainder of their sentences at homeland to allow their rehabilitation socially in accordance with the provisions set forth in the agreement.

The second agreement was on the combating of illegal trafficking of narcotics in the framework of strengthening cooperation in the fight against this heinous phenomenon and its other associated crimes such as money laundry.

In a statement following the signing ceremony, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz confirmed that the relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt are historical.

He highlighted the second agreement concerning the disease, from which the youths suffer, i.e., the addiction of drugs, pointing that cooperation with Egypt will achieve what we aimed for.

On the 6th meeting of Iraq's neighboring countries, which concluded its proceedings on Thursday, the Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister described the meeting as successful, expressing hope in the implementation of the joint statement which was issued for the welfare and security of Iraq.

"We are keen on keeping Iraq as a sovereign state able to manage its own affairs and keeping away from making a base or corridor for those who want to hurt Iraq's security ", Prince Naif explained.

He described the outcome of the meeting as good, expressing optimism to see the recommendations accomplished in a report to the group's next meeting to be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

For his part, Egyptian Interior Minister Adli said that the 6th meeting of the interior ministers of Iraq's neighboring countries was held in an atmosphere of understanding and fully awareness that all are working in the interest of Iraq.

In a press statement following the signing ceremony of the two security agreements, Al-Adli made it clear that Iraq could not recover its strength without the cooperation of all its neighboring countries.

Asked by the Saudi Press Agency to comment on the two security agreements signed earlier on Wednesday between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Al-Adli stressed that the relations between the Kingdom and Egypt are not just relationships of agreements but are historical and strong, and even more stronger than ever.

The signing ceremony was attended by Prince Fahd bin Naif bin Abdulaziz; Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Hisham Nazir and a number of officials.

Prince Naif left Sharm el-Sheikh on Thursday, concluding an official visit to Egypt at the invitation of Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif.

At Sharm Al-Sheikh International Airport, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz was seen off by the Egyptian interior minister Major General Habib Ibrahim Al-Adli; Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Hisham bin Mohieddin Nazir; a number of the Saudi embassy's member staff and senior civilians and military officials.

The Saudi senior official was accompanied by Prince Fahd bin Naif bin Abdulaziz.

In a cable he sent upon departing the Egyptian Red Sea resort city, Prince Naif confirmed the deep-rooted relations binding the Saudi and Egyptian peoples.

He pointed to the identity of views between the Saudi leadership, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Egyptian leadership, led by President Mubarak, wishing the president continuous health and happiness and the Egyptian people steady progress and prosperity.

Prince Naif also sent a similar cable of thanks to and appreciation of Egypt's Premier Nazif.

Meanwhile, the crisis between two of the Middle East's most powerful countries deepened Wednesday as Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said talks with Syria over suicide truck bomb attacks had failed and the United Nations would appoint a special envoy to investigate the violence.

"After four meetings the government realized that these meetings are pointless and they have not produced any ... tangible results or any movement," said Zebari, speaking from a Foreign Ministry still being rebuilt after two tons of explosives were detonated outside the building on Aug. 19.

Zebari said Wednesday he had just been informed that several senior officials were being put forward as candidates within the UN to respond to Iraq's request for a formal investigation into the attacks on the Foreign and Finance ministries. Almost 100 people were killed and 800 wounded in the twin attacks – the first to strike at the heart of the Iraqi state.

"These names are being circulated and discussed so I am hopeful, I am optimistic that soon we would have an investigator or an international envoy to look at this," Zebari told reporters in his first press conference since he stood in the ruins of the bombed ministry the day after the attack. UN spokesman Farhan Haq said Wednesday morning that while no decision had been taken on a possible envoy, the secretary-general was "looking into how best to respond to the government's request in consultation with Iraq and other stakeholders."

The request for an investigation into foreign interference in Iraq would also include Iran and other neighbors but the Iraqi government has focused on the suicide truck bombs which Iraq has blamed on Baath Party extremists living in Syria. Forty-three Foreign Ministry employees, many of them young diplomats, were killed and 508 injured, more than 100 of them seriously, in the August attack.

Syria, which is on the US State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism, has denied that it was involved in any way in the bombings or that it harbors the suspects Iraq has asked it to extradite. US officials have said that Damascus had curbed the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq over the past two years but has been unwilling to completely crack down on anti-Iraq extremists in an apparent attempt to maintain leverage over Iraq.

"We are asking to extradite two Iraqis whom we believe are responsible for the attacks of Aug. 19. They lived, worked, and operated in Syria and this is a fact," says Zebari, who heads the Iraqi commission investigating the attacks. He said after the press conference that Iraq was "every day uncovering more and more evidence" of Baathist extremist activity in Syria.

"They are unwilling to help or assist in that in any way.... I personally do not believe there will be a quick resolution. I hope there will be – this is my job, my work, to resolve crises not to galvanize crises. But the prospect so far does not look good for instant and immediate resolution."

Iraq has not released evidence to back its claims of Syrian complicity, but US military commanders and intelligence officials in Iraq over the past year have pointed to Saddam Hussein loyalists as a top threat in Iraq and have said that Syria has a track record of refusing to hand over those suspects wanted for attacks in Iraq. The extent to which Al Qaeda operatives have formed an alliance with Baath Party extremists loyal to Hussein has been a subject of debate, but American and Iraqi officials describe it as a marriage of convenience – although the two have differing ideologies, Al Qaeda in Iraq is believed to have supplied the suicide bombers while the Baathist extremists provided the logistics and planning.

Some Iraqi politicians, particularly Sunni leaders, have cast doubt on the largely Shiite Iraqi government's effort to lay the blame on Baathists in Syria, with some saying they believe Al Qaeda in Iraq carried out the attacks on its own.

Zebari said that if the appointment of the special UN envoy did not move forward, Iraq was prepared to take the issue further by forcing a special meeting of the UN Security Council in which all the member states would have to make public statements about Iraq's claims.

Iraq and Syria each recalled their ambassador after the bombing. Iraq is one of Syria's biggest export markets and Iraqi officials have not ruled out closing its borders to Syrian products. Such a move could have repercussions on an estimated 1 million Iraqi refugees still living in Syria.

In a tour for a small group of reporters, Zebari showed off floors of the foreign-designed ministry which are being entirely rebuilt by Iraqi engineers and laborers working around the clock. He stopped to greet a ministry worker on crutches who had just come back after being treated for her injuries.

Many of the diplomats and consular employees resumed work at the Foreign Ministry just days after the bombing on the few floors that had not been damaged by the bomb.

"This building was a piece of rubble," Zebari said, pointing to the rebuilt walls and new floors in a building where every piece of glass had been shattered. "But it will take time to be completely fixed."