Iraq's new president said in his first public remarks after being appointed today that he wanted the United Nations Security Council to grant the country "full sovereignty" in a resolution now under discussion.
"We the Iraqis look forward to being granted full sovereignty through a Security Council resolution to enable us to rebuild a free, independent, democratic and federal unified homeland," Mr Ghazi Yawer told a news conference.
Mr Hoshiyar Zebari, newly reappointed as foreign minister today by Prime Minister-designate Mr Iyad Allawi, was heading for New York to lobby the United Nations for full sovereignty when the US occupation authority relinquishes power on June 30th.
It was not clear if Mr Zebari would ask for amendments to the draft resolution on Iraqi sovereignty proposed by the United States and Britain. Mr Yawer last week, as head of the Iraqi Governing Council, criticised the draft for giving too little control to Iraqis over US troops remaining on their soil.
Iraq is also keen to scrap all international supervision of its oil revenues imposed when ousted President Saddam Hussein was in power. The draft resolution proposes an international audit on the spending of those revenues.
Washington says its draft offers "full sovereignty" but countries including France, Russia and China - all opponents of the US invasion - have suggested it does not go far enough.