UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraq on Tuesday welcomed theunanimous adoption of a new resolution by the United Nations Security Council to end the US-led occupation of the country and hand over power to a new Iraqi government on June 30.

    "We welcome the unanimous vote of the Security Council and we are about to take further steps towards reasserting our sovereignty and regaining decency," said Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi,senior legal advisor to the foreign minister of the interim Iraqi government, who represented Iraq at an open meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday afternoon.

    Answering questions from reporters after the adoption of the resolution, al-Istrabadi said, "The mandate given to the US-led multinational force in Iraq by the Security Council is contingent upon the continued request of the Iraqi government, now the sovereign government of Iraq, to have the force present."

    "The bottom line is that the multinational force is there because the government of Iraq wishes for it to be there," he said.

    He said Iraq is now turning a new page and "we are now on the road toward the rule of law."

    He also said Iraq would welcome the assistance of any government as "we need the help of the international community to rebuild our country." Enditem