I would like to convey the greetings of the people of Iraqi Kurdistan, which is part of Iraq, to the Assembly.

The fighting between the KDP and the PUK resulted in the flight of an estimated 65,000 PUK supporters from northern Iraq to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq has effectively established de facto autonomy vis à vis the central government in Baghdad. Regional and domestic developments could push the Kurdish authorities in Erbil, their capital, toward declaring formal independence.

Every province in Iraq can now benefit from Kurdistan's experience.

Factional fighting between the two main political parties in Northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), coupled with the intervention of outside powers, resulted in population movements both inside Iraq and to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It committed crimes of genocide against the Iraqi people in Kurdistan, in areas such as Halabja, and in the south during the popular uprising.

Fourthly, my delegation has seen no mention made of the compliance and the progress made in Iraq's Kurdistan and in other parts of Iraq which enjoy social, economic stability and security.

The Iraqi Constitution protected the rights of the Kurdish people and the other two minorities in Iraq, Syrians and Turks.

The Working Group was informed about the situation of the Turkmen minority in Iraq, including in areas controlled by Kurds.

Moreover, the chances that Iraqi Kurdistan will achieve de facto or de jure independence are greater than ever. Iraq s Kurds may even be able to extend their influence into Kurdish populated northern Syria, thereby becoming a more influential regional player than the Iraqi government in Baghdad.

10. Contrary to the Special Rapporteur apos s allegations, his Government had not forcibly relocated Kurds or Turkomen in the areas of Kirkuk and Khanaqin.

West Azerbaijan, Khuzestan, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Fars, Lorestan, Hormozgan and Bushehr.

The countries around Afghanistan are Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Tajikistan In July 1989, a curfew was introduced in Isfara region.

Kurdistan

UNHCR also included in its activities other institutions, such as the Iraqi Property Claims Commission and the Kurdistan Regional Government, as well as NGOs and other partners.

In the aftermath of the PUK recapture of the town of Sulemaniya on 13 October 1996, most of those who had fled to the Islamic Republic of Iran returned to northern Iraq.

Furthermore, the Turkish military can increase the pressure on Iraqi Kurds with far less drastic measures. It can close the two countries principal border crossing, an important route for food, fuel, and other goods headed for Iraqi Kurds.

249. In addition, allegations concerning a new wave of violence, including murders, of Iranian exiles living abroad, as well as information regarding attacks on Iranian Kurds in Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan by Iranian forces have also reached the Special Rapporteur.

The Constitution Drafting Committee is chaired by Sheikh Humaam Al Hammoudi of the United Iraqi Alliance. Fouad Ma'suum of the Kurdistan Alliance List and Adnan Janabi of the Iraqi List serve as deputy chairs.

KAKC also organized a cultural week when Kurds from Turkey, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq discussed Kurdish culture in their respective countries.

On 12 June the inaugural session of the Kurdistan National Assembly elected Massoud Barzani to a four year term as President of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

o Arab Mashreq (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq)

Decision 59 513 (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) Establishment of a nuclear weapon free zone in Central Asia

These meetings were attended by China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Uzbekistan, as well as by OIC.

At the same time, the Turkish government is pursuing a separate path of negotiations, through a rapprochement with another Kurdish authority the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq. The grand vision is to integrate Iraqi Kurdistan into the Turkish economy.

At the national level, controls at key road border crossings in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well as airport interdiction capacities at Karachi, Pakistan, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and Ashghabad, Turkmenistan will be strengthened.

In addition, he met regularly with an informal commission of Kurds from Kurdistan which was created to work with the United Iraqi Alliance Committee of Seven to work through contentious issues.

He visited Istanbul, Diyarbakir and Ankara.

b) The Destruction of Charar e Sharif Islamic Complex in Kashmir and other Islamic Sites therein

As the Iraqi political scientist Ghassan Atiyyah, has noted, the Kurds, even without regional allies, have been able to de stabilize Iraq for 80 years. How much more will the Sunnis be able to de stabilize the country, he asked, enjoying as they do the support of most of the regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, and potentially Turkey?

A Referendum For Kurdistan?

Tajikistan

Iraq Turkey

Arab States and Europe Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Fifty five members of the Transitional National Assembly drawn from the various lists are members of the Constitution Committee.

Starting with the United Arab Emirates, the mission then proceeded to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan, then back to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

The lack of public authority in certain areas of the Middle East, in particular in northern Iraq during the last decade, has caused certain terrorist groups, mainly the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), to take part in all stages of illegal trafficking of drugs.

Turkey has no desire to serve as a strategic counterweight to Iran and believes that only a territorially intact Iraq can continue to play that role. Furthermore, Turkey is concerned about the possibility of civil war in Kurdistan between the two largest Kurdish factions.

Participating countries will include Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

New initiatives were jointly planned for assistance to Angola, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

First, they are weary of renewed Iranian attempts to destabilize Iraq. Security forces recently intercepted suicide bombers entering Iraqi Kurdistan from Iran, with, Kurdish leaders believe, the support and training of Iranian intelligence.

Based on an agreement between UNDP and the Kurdistan Regional Government, the latter arranged for the printing of 600,000 copies in Kurdish by 12 October, in addition to the 304,520 copies printed in Baghdad.

In this connection, I would like to address the Assembly in the other official language of Iraq, Kurdish.

Confronted with the debacle in the rest of (Arab) Iraq, the question has to be asked why the US led coalition should not hold a referendum in the Kurdish region, asking the population how they would like to be ruled. After all, the Kurds have, by any internationally accepted standards, a right to self determination.