Moscow presumes that the authorities of Iraq will in practice confirm their earlier declared readiness for constructive cooperation with the United Nations, and that UNMOVIC and IAEA will ensure the highly professional and objective character of inspection and monitoring activity in strict accordance with their mandate, determined by the UN Security Council.

Welcoming the start of international inspections in Iraq, the Russian side hopes that they will mark an important milestone in the process of a comprehensive settlement of the Iraq problem envisaging, in particular, the lifting of sanctions on Baghdad and the conversion of the Gulf area into a zone of lasting peace, stability and cooperation.