Iraqi Minister Says Technology Key To Reconstruction

``Today it is true that we are battling hardship and we are passing a critical stage, but the future is ours,'' Rashad Mandan Omar told reporters after talks with Italian counterpart Lucio Stanca.

``Information technology will be the basis to build a sound Iraq based on scientific approaches,'' the Iraqi said, adding that introducing sound communications in war torn Iraq will be a ``first step to reach security.''

Iraq has been wracked by a 15-month-old insurgency that has used car bombings, sabotage, kidnappings and other violence to try to drive out coalition forces and hamper reconstruction efforts.

But the Iraqi minister said he expected the security situation in Iraq to improve, allowing foreign companies to participate in reconstruction. ``We hope in the coming months security ought to be at a level where normal life will be there and the companies can come to do their normal work.''

The two ministers signed an agreement in which Italy pledged to help Iraq make use of technology, including a project to build an Intranet network for Iraq's public administration.

The agreement provides for an Italian expert to travel to Iraq and help officials there install the Intranet system.

Stanca said that the project would cost tens of millions of euros (dollars), and that the World Bank had agreed to match every dollar that the Italian government contributes.

Italy has a military contingent of nearly 3,000 troops in Iraq.

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