Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Wednesday, 30 October 2019, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 13 November 2019. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Tuesday, 5 November 2019 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Politics and Government

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to support the government of Iraq in order to end violence in that country.

Answer: We are deeply concerned about the continued violence in Iraq. We continue to urge the Iraqi security forces to show restraint and call for the protests to be peaceful. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Mehdi on 9 October to express UK concerns about the disproportionate security response and push for the Government to take action to respond to protesters' legitimate concerns. I spoke to Foreign Minister Al-Hakim on 10 October to underline these points. Our Ambassador in Baghdad has been in close contact with senior Iraqis including the Iraqi President and Prime Minister. We are also working with international partners and the UN to encourage and support the Government of Iraq to take quick and effective action on tackling corruption, creating jobs and improving services, in line with the protestors' legitimate demands.

Secondary information