NORWAY WELCOMES PROPOSED CHANGES
TO IRAQ SANCTIONS

Foreign Minister Jagland says that Norway supports UK proposals to change the Security Council sanctions regime on Iraq. "This corresponds to our own thinking", says Jagland, referring to ideas put forward by Norway earlier this year, with a view to improving the humanitarian situation for Iraqi civilians. Norway has long called for changing the sanctions regime to allow the Iraqi economy to function more freely by opening up for civilian goods imports, while strengthening control over weapons and military-related equipment. The proposed changes to the sanctions regime will contribute to improving living conditions for the civilian population in Iraq, if Saddam Hussein wants. "It will now be up to the Iraqi government to decide how this will affect the population", says Jagland. Norway’s UN ambassador Kolby says that the proposals, if approved by the Council in the coming weeks, will mean a dramatic change of the sanctions regime. "It means that normal trade with Iraq will be allowed for all goods that are not on a predetermined list of prohibited imports, instead of as today the other way around", says Kolby.