"Discussions are taking place, we are now at the end of the tunnel, at the end of the road," Maliki told reporters after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

"If God allows, this government will emerge soon," said the premier, who flew in to Egypt late on Tuesday after similar visits to Iraq neighbours Syria, Jordan and Iran.

Maliki has been fighting to retain his post after a March 7 general election which produced no clear winner.

His Shiite-led State of Law bloc finished a narrow second behind the Sunni-backed Iraqiya group of former prime minister Iyad Allawi with whom Maliki is locked in a protracted battle for the premiership.

Maliki said he and Mubarak had discussed the role of Egyptian companies in the multi-billion-dollar reconstruction of Iraq.

"We need to have agreements with friendly countries for them to be partners of Iraq in the reconstruction process," he said, pledging to cut the red tape for Egyptian firms doing business in his country.

Insecurity is "a phase which we have passed," said Maliki, vowing to ensure "100 percent" security at the workplace.

He said the rebuilding of war-battered Iraq required a strong government at the helm in Baghdad and one with "developed relations with neighbouring countries, with brother countries, and solid political relations."

Iraq wants "friendly countries to stand by our side, but at the same time we do not want anyone to interfere in the process of forming our new government," said Maliki, calling for "impartiality" and "balance" from outside states.

earlier related report
UN Iraq envoy unhurt after bomb attack on convoy
Najaf, Iraq (AFP) Oct 20, 2010 - The UN envoy to Iraq, Dutch diplomat Ad Melkert, was unhurt after a bomb attack targeting a convoy of vehicles south of Baghdad, UN and police officials said.

There were conflicting reports over Tuesday's incident, with Melkert saying he was in the convoy that was attacked, while senior Iraqi officials said he was not.

Melkert had been meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the highest-ranking Shiite cleric in Iraq, and "was going to the airport when the bomb exploded," UN spokeswoman Randa Jamal said.

Melkert, 56, said he was in the convoy escorting him to the airport in the holy Shiite city of Najaf when a roadside bomb exploded at 4:00 pm (1300 GMT).

"My convoy was attacked by a bomb, which led to the killing of one Iraqi policeman, so far as I know. I feel sad for the death of the policeman. The investigation is still going on," he told Al-Arabiya television in remarks voiced over in Arabic.

"I think it was roadside bomb -- this kind of attack is targeting a lot of Iraqi people -- and my convoy was targeted. It was a shock."

Melkert, who was appointed to the post in July 2009, called the attack a "terrible experience," but declined to speculate when asked if he had been the target.

The UN's first envoy to Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion, Brazilian diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, was killed along with 21 of his colleagues in a massive August 2003 bombing attack by insurgents.

Asked if he would leave the country because of the attack, Melkert said: "I will stay in Iraq because I want to help the Iraqi people."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attack but underscored that it would not deter the UN mission in the conflict-stricken country.

"This attack will not deter the UN from continuing its efforts to assist the Iraqi people on their path to reconciliation and prosperity," a statement said.

In Paris, a French foreign ministry spokesman said: "By attacking UN representatives, the terrorists were targeting the entire international community and its efforts on behalf of Iraq."

The US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice also condemned the attack "in the strongest terms." She added: "The United States will continue to support the tireless work that the men and women of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq undertake each day to help the Iraqi people build a sovereign, democratic and stable Iraq."

In conflicting reports, provincial police chief Abdel Karim Mustapha and a military commander both said Melkert was not in the convoy that was attacked.

Mustapha told AFP the incident occurred after Melkert had been dropped off at the airport in Najaf.

"The bomb targeted my vehicle and convoy as I was returning from the airport after saying farewell to Mr Melkert," the police chief said.

"One of my guards was killed and three wounded," he added. "It was not Melkert who was targeted."

Lieutenant General Othman al-Ghanemi, a military operations commander in central Iraq, said the attack was "against the police commander's convoy, not Melkert's convoy."

Iraq has been without a government since inconclusive March 7 elections, in which the Shiite-led State of Law bloc of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki finished a narrow second behind Iyad Allawi's Sunni-dominated Iraqiya group.

Neither side came close to securing a parliamentary majority, however, and the country has been in political deadlock ever since.

"This is the time for the political blocs to sit at one table for dialogue according to the constitution," Melkert had said at a news conference after meeting Sistani before the attack.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News