TOKYO -- Assyrian Christians in Iraq have made a formal request for a Province of their own inside the war-torn country, and many see this as the only way to persuade thousands of refugees outside the country to return.

The Assyrian Province, under the same legal framework as neighboring Kurdistan, is seen as a key to bring the Northern part of Iraq into stability.

In a wide-ranging, exclusive interview in Tokyo for ANS with Ken Joseph Jr., Iraqi President Nouri al Malaki affirmed the Assyrian Christians' right to have a Province of their own, which could be provided for under the Iraqi Constitution.

Malaki said: "I have a bias towards the Assyrian Christians. They are the indigenous people of our country and our most nationalist and good people."

He added: "We want them to be inside the country and active and able to retake their rights. We will do all we can to help them. At the same time, if they feel they need an area, a province of their own as the Constitution provides, I support this fully"

Reacting to large numbers of refugees in neighboring countries, Malaki said: "We do not consider them refugees. They are displaced, and we are doing all we can to create a situation where they can return. They are our responsibility and we do not need help from others to take them in -- they will return home."

Malaki was addressing questions concerning the minorities, many of whom are in neighboring, countries including an estimated nearly 500,000 Assyrian Christians

During the interview, Malaki appeared upbeat about the future of his country in contrast to the daily bad news coming out of Iraq.

"I fully understand why bad news makes the news," Malaki said. "It is the nature of the world we live in. At the same time, I think it is important to let the world know that things in our country are improving dramatically.

"Our unemployment rate has gone from nearly 70 percent to now under 30 percent. Our most recent growth rate was 3 percent and we have seen, in particular as a result of the recent Baghdad program, a dramatic drop in so- called sectarian violence."

Speaking through an interpreter, but often breaking in to confirm a comment, Malaki addressed several issues pertaining to the situation in Iraq.

"What is particularly encouraging to me is the changes we have seen in our security forces and the trust from our people once again. We are finally seeing individual citizens provide information to our forces, which has changed the situation dramatically in rooting out those who are determined to ruin our country."

Malaki stressed three key goals. National Reconciliation, Economic Development and Expanded Security as the way forward.

"In spite of much information to the contrary, we are seeing a return to the Iraq we all once knew when we considered ourselves all Iraqis and not belonging to a particular sect or group," he said.

"Recently we have brought back large numbers of former members of the Ba'ath Party who were not involved in any problems in the past and this has significantly helped to bring our people together,