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Iraq

The whole country will strongly welcome my right hon. Friend's statement, and will recognise his commitment to strengthening not just the security situation but the economic and political institutions that underlie it. However, the world has a disconcerting habit of moving on from a crisis once that crisis disappears from the headlines. My right hon. Friend's own commitment guarantees a bilateral relationship, but how can we guarantee that the rest of the world remains engaged? It is in Britain's and Iraq's vital interests that those institutions continue to be strengthened.