Washington: US President George W Bush has urged the international community to give its full support to the interim Government in Iraq, which will assume sovereignty on June 30.

"A sovereign Iraq deserves the full support of the international community as it works to establish a representative and freely elected system of Government in the months ahead," Bush said at a joint appearance with Australian Prime Minister John Howard yesterday (June 3, 2004).

Outlining the challenges before the new Government headed by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, he said, "The new Iraqi Government's foremost task will be to prepare Iraq for a national election no later than January of next year. And to work with our coalition to provide the security that will make that election possible."

The US President said that the new Security Council resolution being prepared will express international support for Iraq's interim Government, reaffirm the world's security commitment to the Iraqi people and encourage other UN members to join in the effort of building a free Iraq.

Bush also assured that "my nation will conduct a full accounting of the cruel and disgraceful abuse of Iraqi detainees".

Howard assured Bush that Australia will not withdraw its forces from Iraq and said his country viewed the establishment of the Iraqi interim Government as a major step forward.

"It is a light to the future, so far as Iraq is concerned," he said, adding that the countries of the free world have a lot at stake in relation to Iraq.