Senior Iraqi officials in Tokyo on Wednesday called on the international community to make more efforts on debt relief and helping speed up the country's reconstruction process in spite of its unstable security situation.

At the opening ceremony of the donors meeting held in Tokyo, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh described the debt as "an awful legacy of the previous regime."

"It is our firm belief that debtor countries should consider relief positively as an investment in Iraq's future. So, we are requesting solutions that deliver deep and comprehensive debt relief. Solutions that will enable rapid reconstruction and that will stimulate faster growth.

These form the platform for a peaceful and democratic Iraq. In short we ask for sustainable solutions," he said.

Mehdi Hafedh, Iraqi minister of Planning and Development Cooperation put the debt at 125 billion US dollars, five times as high as Iraq's gross domestic product (GDP).

Saleh urged the international community, especially the United Nations, to ratchet up aid process. "I say now to the UN: Where isthe critical support for the political process that the UN is mandated to provide?

Where is the commitment under UN Resolution 1546? We need more UN support and we need it now," he said.

Saleh also listed the top three social sector priorities in dire need of assistance: health, water and sanitation; education and housing.

He vowed to carry out measures to stamp out corruption, and create a totally transparent system for the collection and application of all revenue and expenditure, especially in the oil industry which currently accounts for 94 percent of Iraq's revenues.

Also at the beginning of the meeting, Mark Malloch Brown, chairman of the United Nations Development Group (UNDP) and administrator of the United Nations Development Program, said the UN will go on helping Iraq's election and rebuilding.

He said 402 million dollars for 40 approved projects had been transferred to the UN implementing organizations through the UNDP,an administrative agent of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI).

About 55 countries and organizations are gathering here for thetwo-day meeting of IRFFI.

Source: Xinhua