Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa said Monday that the preparatory meeting of Iraqi National Accord Conference held in the AL headquarter in Cairo from Nov. 19-21 was the first step towards the war-torn country's reconciliation.

Moussa told a news conference after the meeting that he cannot say that all differences were solved, but all participants praised the topics on the agenda which they rejected before.

"This is a progress," the AL chief said. "I would say that we have succeeded in bringing opinions closer by about 70 percent, but I will continue to warn against exaggerated expectations."

Iraq's Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish and Christian leaders agreed on their first joint statement which underlined commitment to Iraq's unity.

The leaders approved a six-point agenda for a reconciliation conference to be held in Iraq in late February or early March, emphasizing "enlargement of the political process to all the forces adopting a democratic position."

The leaders also agreed that there should be a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops and resistance was the right, but acts of terror should be condemned.

"The Iraqi people are looking forward to the day when the foreign forces leave Iraq, when its armed and security forces are to be rebuilt and when the people can enjoy peace and stability and get rid of terrorism," the statement said.
 
Participants asked the Arab countries to support Iraq by eliminating or reducing its debts and strengthening the Arab diplomatic presence in Baghdad.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said Monday that the AL has played a distinguished role in pushing forward the national reconciliation process in Iraq.

However, the agreement was unable to mask their lingering differences during the talks, marred by violence in Iraq and a brief walkout of the Shiite delegates.

Sunni Arab leaders have been pressing the Shiite-Kurd-dominated government to agree to a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops. The statement recognized that goal, but did not set a specific date.

Shiite and Kurdish participants cast doubts on the role the AL can actually play in their country as most of the its 22 member states are Sunni-dominated and might be biased against them.

The gathering, held under the auspices of the AL, brought together some 100 representatives of various Iraqi religious and ethic groups as well as those from other Arab countries, Turkey, Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a number of regional and international organizations. 

AL chief Amr Moussa paid his first visit to Iraq in late October since the US-led invasion in March 2003.

During his visit, Moussa won support for his proposal of holding an Iraqi national reconciliation conference.

"National reconciliation is the key to a successful political process in Iraq and to a gradual end to the presence of foreign  forces," said Moussa at the opening session on Saturday. 

(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2005)