EU big three seek common ground on Iraq resolution

Foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany sought common ground on Monday on a draft UN resolution on the transfer of sovereignty to a provisional Iraqi government, diplomats said.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, whose government co-sponsored the draft resolution with the United States, said the meeting on the sidelines of an EU constitution negotiating session in Brussels, was part of a drive for a quick consensus.
"We have entered into the discussion with partners in the hope that we will be able to reach agreement and reach agreement pretty soon," Straw told reporters.
"There has been a lot of debate with key partners in advance of sharing text with them, so we have got a fair idea about what they would find acceptable and what they would not," he added.
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier called for a "sharing of responsibilities" over security between the interim Iraqi government and a US-led stabilisation force, at least until planned elections in Iraq next January.
The draft resolution set no deadline for the end of an international military presence in Iraq, one of the most sensitive issues.
It also does not foresee giving Iraqi security forces the right to refuse an order from a US military commander but calls for co-ordination arrangements.
"I think the transfer of power to the new Iraqi government from July 1 should be a complete, sincere and clear transfer, even if there is naturally, for a certain time, a sharing of responsibilities on security until the January elections," Barnier told a news conference.
"But the Iraq government must be respected, it must have authority over the Iraqi police, army and (paramilitary) gendarmerie," Barnier said.
Fischer declined comment on the resolution after the meeting, telling reporters: "We didn't talk about that."
Earlier, Schroeder urged the United States to push through a comprehensive transfer of power to Iraq's interim government, including control over the country's resources and security.
"When I say transfer of sovereignty, then I mean it. The responsibilities must be spelt out," Schroeder told reporters, referring to authority over resources and security issues.