The UN secretary-general said the world body plans to open a new office in Baghdad to encourage cooperation between Iraq and its neighbors, but voiced strong concerns about the continuing security problems in the country.
Ban Ki-moon said he hoped "more would be done" to improve Baghdad's security as the UN builds its presence, which has been greatly reduced since an August 19, 2003, bombing at its Baghdad headquarters that killed 22 people.
Ban's comments on Saturday about security - as he sat alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki - reflected the challenges confronting the Iraqi premier's struggle to stabilize the country while dealing with pressure from congressional Democrats who are calling for the quick withdrawal of American forces.
Earlier Saturday, al-Maliki, in pledging that Iraqi forces would take responsibility for the security of an expanded UN mission, had said that the "Baghdad of today is different from the Baghdad of yesterday."
Despite security concerns, Ban emphasized that the international community cannot turn away from Iraq. "Its stability is our common concern," he said after a meeting that grouped top diplomats representing many of Iraq's neighbors, the US, donor nations and other groups.
The meeting between al-Maliki, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Ban and other diplomats sought to build upon a Security Council resolution passed last month which authorized the expansion of the UN presence in Iraq.
Source: China Daily/agencies
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