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STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON
FRANCE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
January 10, 2003
For the last few days you've been saying that Iraq must actively cooperate. Could you be more specific about these terms? How are we to understand that phrase?
With regard to Iraq's active cooperation, allow me to say that I don't agree with the way you phrased your question because in the case of Iraq's cooperation with the international community and with UNMOVIC in application of resolution 1441, we have not changed our language. We have consistently asked for, consistently demanded, Iraq's complete and active cooperation. We made that point again yesterday in the Security Council when Mr. Blix was there. France's permanent representative made a speech specifically to that end. As for yesterday's meeting, Mr. Blix and Mr. ElBaradei briefed the Security Council yesterday on the state of progress in the work of UNOVIC and the IAEA in Iraq. They confirmed that the inspections regime of UNMOVIC and the IAEA has been stepped up. They also said that the inspections are taking place without incident at a steady pace. Their statements also confirmed that Iraq's December 8 declaration on its programs of weapons of mass destruction leaves a number of questions unanswered. So the inspectors must continue their work to clarify this question. Accordingly, they must be able to count on maximum support from the international community to respond to the needs of UNMOVIC and the IAEA in human and material resources. On this point, France has spared no effort to make an important and sizable contribution, and with regard to information which the inspectors need to discharge their mission. To conclude, I'd like to say that the inspectors must also be able to count on Iraq's complete and active cooperation and that Iraq must in particular provide all the necessary information to enable the inspectors to clarify the questions that so far are unanswered.
Are we to understand that what the cooperation lacks, to make it active, is that Iraq must provide more information or is there something else? As you know, journalists like to be accurate.
While journalists like to be accurate, so too do spokespersons, and if we are to be precise I think one must reread resolution 1441 very carefully. Everything is there.
Mr. Blix will be coming to Paris a few days before leaving for Iraq. Will you be giving him a message?
I cannot prejudge the content of Mr. Blix's meetings with the French authorities. I don't think that the Iraqis have any particular difficulties in understanding precisely the French position.
Yesterday Iraq accused the inspectors of asking questions that have nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction. Do you consider that the inspectors' work is limited in the resolution? Are there questions they shouldn't ask for example?
In our view everything is in resolution 1441, and the inspectors have as their mandate the application of that resolution. I know nothing about whether there have been comments or accusation on questions the Iraqis judge to be outside the mandate. We are committed to the complete application of resolution 1441 in its entirety. Furthermore, we noted among other things, from what Mr. Blix and Mr. ElBaradei told the Security Council yesterday, that so far their inspections have taken place without incident at a steady pace. As you know, the Quai d'Orsay spokesman referred to the Iraqi comments as regrettable. So I refer you him.
In his letter Mr. de Villepin asked for more inspectors to beef up their numbers. Does France wish to provide more inspectors?
May I remind you that resolution 1441 requests states to support UNMOVIC and the IAEA, including by providing information and material and human resources for them to discharge their mission. I also wish to recall that France actively supports UNMOVIC and the IAEA. Our country is one of the leading contributors in terms of inspectors and material resources for the inspections. It goes without saying that if need be and if Mr. Blix or Mr. ElBaradei actually requested additional contributions, we would naturally be fully prepared to examine favorably an eventual further contribution-in line with our position of supporting the work of these two bodies--to enable UNMOVIC and the IAEA to perform their task in the best of conditions.