Kurdish official favors U.N. role

ERBIL, Iraq, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- It is important for Iraqi Kurds to have strong relations with international organizations to maintain their political future, a top official said.

Dindar Zebari, the U.N. coordinator with the Kurdistan Regional Government, said in an interview with the Kurdish Globe Thursday that while Iraq was in a period of political transition, it was important to secure the help of the international community to resolve any disputes.

"The U.N. has a mandate to support Iraq to reconcile its internal differences," he said.

He pointed to U.N. Security Council resolution 1830 of 2008 as an indication of the need for Iraq to pursue an agenda of national reconciliation "for the sake of Iraq's political stability and unity."

Though he stressed the U.N. function was to offer suggestions, not direct, political development, he viewed an international role in political reconstruction as an essential element of the future of Iraq, pointing to a September meeting with U.N. officials as a positive step.

Iraqi and Kurdish authorities are mulling over the status of the city of Kirkuk, with some officials favoring an annexation to Iraqi Kurdistan and others lobbying for inclusion into greater Iraq.

"A preliminary assessment on the identification of administrative border and technical support for the disputable areas (will) most probably be presented to Iraqi and Kurdish authorities at the end of September by (U.N. Envoy to Iraq) Staffan de Mistura," he said.