European Union foreign ministers have approved an EU donation of 200 million for the reconstruction of Iraq. No country apart from Britain, however, was prepared to pledge an additional, national sum in advance of this month's donors' conference in Madrid, writes Denis Staunton in Luxembourg
Britain's foreign secretary, Mr Jack Straw, said his government would contribute an additional €375 million over the next two years.
"All eyes in Iraq will be on the Madrid Donors' Conference. It is now important for the international community to send a clear signal of its willingness to help Iraqis build on the progress already made," he said.
In a joint statement, the ministers said the EU wanted to play an important role in rebuilding Iraq but identified as essential for the success of the reconstruction effort "an adequate security environment; a strong and vital UN role; a realistic schedule for the handing over of political responsibility to the Iraqi people; the setting up of a transparent multilateral donor fund to channel support from the international community".
The EU and its member-states have already pledged €730 million for humanitarian aid to Iraq, including 5 million from Ireland.
The Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche, said it was too soon to say if, and how much, Ireland would pledge in Madrid. "We're very positively disposed towards the conference in Madrid but we haven't decided yet," he said.
Germany's foreign minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, said Berlin had not yet decided whether to pledge any extra money at Madrid.
He said that Germany would pay the largest share of the EU donation and said that pressure from Brussels to cut his government's budget deficit limited Berlin's room for manoeuvre.
France's foreign minister, Mr Dominique de Villepin, said his country would help to train Iraqi police and soldiers if conditions were right but he made no mention of a cash donation.
Sweden said it would offer only humanitarian assistance until there was either a sovereign Iraqi government or UN authority over the reconstruction process.
The Dutch foreign minister, Mr Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said his country would offer no extra money at all.
"As far as the Netherlands are concerned, there will be no extras. We have already pledged quite a lot in emergency aid. We are doing a lot with our troops in the south of Iraq as far as civil military co-operation is concerned, so ... do not expect much because there is already much," he said.
The World Bank, United Nations and International Monetary Fund have estimated that more than 30 billion will be needed over the next four years to reactivate the Iraqi economy.