British-Iraqi relations have begun a new phase with the withdrawal of most British troops from Iraq. The Iraqi parliament is currently discussing a draft strategic agreement to legalize the British presence and set a framework for future relations between the two countries. Niqash met with the new Deputy British Ambassador in Iraq, John Wilkes, to discuss these issues.

Niqash: A strategic agreement between Iraq and Britain is currently being discussed. Is this agreement similar to the strategic agreement setting out U.S-Iraqi relations?

Wilkes: The situation is different. At the end of this month most British troops will withdraw from Iraq, while most U.S troops will stay until the end of this year. We expect a number of British soldiers to remain in Iraq for the training and rehabilitation of Iraqi forces. However, the agreement between Iraq and Britain focuses not only on military but also on civil issues. We believe that there is wide acceptance in parliament and government for the draft agreement. There is also a declaration of friendship and cooperation between Iraq and Britain, covering all areas of cooperation in education, trade, investment, culture, etc.

Niqash: Is there an exact number and specified tasks for the troops that will stay in Iraq according to the new draft agreement?

Wilkes: According to the agreement submitted to the parliament, the main role of British soldiers, and we are talking about one hundred here, is to train and rehabilitate Iraqi marines in southern Iraq.

Niqash: This means that you are still giving more importance to Basra?

Wilkes: No. In the strategic agreement with the Iraqi government, we agreed to develop our relations with other parts of the country and this is part of a new phase in “developing relations with Iraq.” The Iraqi government asked us to train the marines in Umm Qasr in southern Iraq and that is why we focus on Basra.

Niqash: To what extent will this agreement contribute to stability in Iraq?

Wilkes: This is our goal. We want to be a major partner with Iraq, of all segments of Iraqi society, and we want to develop our relations with Iraq so that they reach the same level of relations as with other countries of the region. I believe that the main goal of the cooperation program between the Iraqi and British governments is to build the capacity of state institutions, encourage the private sector and attract foreign investment. This will contribute to job creation, increased educational opportunities and building the economic capacity of the country. These issues are important parts of the Iraqi government’s campaign to establish security and stability. We all know that many young people join armed, radical groups for economic reasons in order to earn a living.

Niqash: You have an embassy in Baghdad and two consulates, one in Erbil and the other in Basra. What kind of presence do you want to establish with these offices?

Wilkes: The role of the diplomatic missions in Baghdad, Basra and Erbil is a political one. It is to maintain and develop political relations with high ranking officials in the provinces and with the central government in Baghdad. In previous years, our focus was mainly on achieving stability in southern Iraq, signing an agreement to regulate the gradual withdrawal of security forces and addressing the security issues. There is now a new phase of relations and we want to stress other diplomatic aspects, including contact with the media and Iraqi civil society. In the strategic agreement between Iraq and Britain we will stress the development of trade relations, investment, culture and education. In the modern history of Iraq, Britain has played an important role and during the last decades there were many Iraqi students studying in Britain. In the coming years we will hopefully have a new generation of Iraqi students studying in Britain.

Niqash: How do you assess the success of the "Invest Iraq, 2009" conference held in London last April in establishing partnerships between British and Iraqi companies?

Wilkes: I was present at the conference and the general impression was very positive. Big companies in Britain such as Shell, BP and British Airways expressed a great interest in investing in Iraq. There are also British companies owned by British people originally from Iraq - given the fact that there is a large Iraqi community in Britain - and many members of this community are very interested in investment opportunities available in Iraq. But unfortunately, this week there were several bombings in Iraq and the security situation is fragile and reversible. Last week, Oil Minister al-Shahristani announced that the BP Group has won the first bidding round [for the development and servicing of Rumaila field in southern Iraq, the largest oil field open for investment]. As it is known, the British-Dutch Shell Company is negotiating with the Iraqi government for the development of gas production capacities. Additionally, a delegation representing twenty British companies recently visited Basra, Baghdad and the north. The British delegation expressed its interest in investing everywhere in Iraq. And this is a very important development for the future of the country. All these developments are indicators of the conference’s success and Prime Minister al-Maliki himself said that he is happy with the results achieved at the Conference.

Niqash: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced an independent inquiry into the Iraq war. Does this mean that Britain is reviewing its position regarding its troops’ participation in the occupation of Iraq?

Wilkes: No. But, as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, we want to learn the lessons of the last six or seven years. Therefore, the investigation will cover the pre-war period and extend until June 2009. We really want to learn the lessons. Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and other senior officials have admitted that there were mistakes, especially in the post-war period, and we want to transparently learn the lessons. For this reason the British government will provide investigators with all documents related to this period. But, we also want to encourage debate within British society in general, because there is a considerable debate not only in Iraq and the region but also in Britain over the war and its consequences and the role of British troops in Basra. Therefore, there is a wide acceptance in Britain of this investigation opportunity.

Niqash: How will recent events in Iran affect the British presence in Iraq?

Wilkes: The situation in Iran is a source of concern to all countries in the region. We want stability in Iran and we want the government to respect the opinion of the Iranian people. For this reason, we are now trying to reach an acceptable political agreement between the Iranian government and the Iranian people regarding the election.

Britain wants a stable Middle East where different countries enjoy good relations with each other. This is in the interest of Britain too. British interests in the region are based on trade, oil exports and building investment relations in the region and also Gulf investments in Britain. Thus, stability in the Middle East is in the interest of Britain for commercial and investment purposes. We do not want Iran’s crisis to impact Iraq. On the other hand, we do not want to see that the turmoil in Iraq is impacting conditions in Iran. For this reason, we have welcomed, during the last few years, steps aiming to build better relations between Iraq and Iran compared to those which prevailed during Saddam’s regime.

Niqash: Some Iraqis say that the British occupation in the 1920s brought some positive results such as hospitals and bridges but that the American occupation has not brought about any such positive results.

Wilkes: I do not agree with those who say that one occupation is better than another. Nobody likes to see foreign troops in their country, neither in Iraq, nor in Britain or any other country in the world. For this reason, I think that the past six years have been very difficult for everyone because coalition forces wanted to leave behind a strong, stable and prosperous Iraq but this was not easy to achieve. It is because of this that the coalition changed its strategy and the approach now focuses on capacity-building of Iraqis, to be followed by gradual handover of all files. In the south, this has been achieved by Britain troops.

In the Middle East, including Iraq, debate over the past is still strongly present. As history is repeating itself, it is possible to learn the lessons. But the situation in Iraq now, nearly a century after the British entry into Iraq and other countries of the region, is different because Iraq has become a very rich country and this is why no hospitals and bridges are now being built. In the 1920s Iraq was a poor country. Now Iraq does not need financing, resources and nor does it need the expertise of construction companies. It needs modern technologies and the expertise to develop an advanced economic structure compared to other countries of the region. That is why the development strategy now is different than that of the 1920s. Now we want to focus on building the capacities of technical, engineering, economic and commercial institutions. This is our aim – which might not be as visible for many people as building bridges and hospitals.