Iraq is urging international donors to speed up delivery of pledged aid so the war-torn country can build a long-term future for its people.
Speaking to representatives of 55 countries and organizations at a donors' conference in Tokyo Wednesday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said development and stability cannot be driven forward through the barrels of guns.
Mr. Salih also criticized the United Nations for failing to do enough to support Iraq.
The Tokyo conference is a follow up to last year's meeting in Madrid where $13 billion was pledged for post-war construction projects.
So far, only about $1 billion of that amount has been deposited in a trust fund set up by the World Bank and the United Nations.