JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH IGOR IVANOV
RUSSIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF FRANCE,

AND JOSCHKA FISCHER,
FEDERAL MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF GERMANY

RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

March 5, 2003

Question: Are there any chances left for a political resolution of the situation around Iraq?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: We do not consider that the chances of a political resolution of the situation around Iraq are exhausted. Even if there is but one chance left, it ought to be used. We will work in order to avoid war and to continue the process of political settlement.

Question: Do you consider that the positions of Russia, France and Germany on Iraq absolutely coincide? What position does China hold?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: I think that each of our countries acts based on its own understanding and appraisal of the situation. Our positions coincide. But this is not because France acts as Russia would like, and Russia as France and Germany would like. The way which we suggest is the most rational, meeting the interests of not only a resolution of the situation around Iraq, but also of preserving unity in the international community in order to tackle other, perhaps, even more complex problems, such as the fight against terrorism and against other contemporary threats and challenges. This is of basic importance. We've always been saying that it is necessary to strive for the preservation of unity, including on the United Nations Security Council. Guided by this aim exactly, we arrived at a compromise on UNSCR 1441. I assure you it was not easy. But we did that, guided by the chief objective - to preserve unity. Unity is a guarantee of the solution of the Iraq problem by political means. That's the way we will act. That's the way we invite our partners to act.

Regarding the second part of the question, I have just returned from the PRC, where I stayed on a visit. In Beijing we adopted a joint Russian-Chinese statement expressing full solidarity with the earlier adopted trilateral statement of Russia, France and Germany. I take the liberty of saying that the Chinese partners share our approach.

Question: How does the situation around Iraq influence Middle East settlement?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: Russia as a state which is part of the Quartet has exerted together with our partners great efforts to develop compromise ways for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are "put on paper" and have received the name Road Map. The sooner the Road Map is endorsed and launched, the more possibilities there will be to assist a political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Of course, although the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the question of Iraq are not the same thing, undoubtedly these situations influence each other. The more effective will be our work on a political resolution of the Iraq situation, the greater are the chances for a political settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. If the Iraqi settlement goes according to a force-based scenario, this will complicate our efforts for a political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Therefore a certain interconnection is there.

Question: Why is Russia making statements condemning the terrorist acts against the Israelis, and keeps silent on the actions of Israel in the Palestinian territories?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: I would like first of all to return to the previous question. Our statement concerns the situation around Iraq. In it we did not try to set forth our countries' position on all issues. We have just showed that by following the path of a political resolution of the situation around Iraq we will facilitate or create conditions for the solution of other problems, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As to the position of Russia on Middle East settlement and on individual aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you can look in the Internet and see that practically each day we are making statements. Our position is well known both as concerns the terrorist acts and as concerns the actions of the Israeli army, the problem of settlements and so on. It would be unfair to say that in our statements we insufficiently fully reflect the problem of Middle East settlement. Still, unfortunately, during our meeting a fresh terrorist act occurred. Of course, we could not fail to respond. We are unanimous in the condemnation of terrorism in any form of its manifestation. This was and remains for us a principled position.

Now as concerns unilateral actions. That was spoken of earlier. We demand that Iraq comply with the UNSC resolutions. In the final analysis, we demand that Iraq comply with the Charter of the United Nations, because at the base of the resolutions lies the Charter of the United Nations and with it all countries, primarily the countries members of the UN Security Council should comply. Unilateral actions in circumvention of the UN Security Council are a violation of the United Nations Charter and will not contribute to our joint efforts for strengthening international stability and security. At the same time, we are confident that the United Nations remains the mechanism which enables us in today's post-Cold War conditions to lay the foundations of a new world order, of a multipolar world based on respect of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Question: Is it necessary to take one more resolution on Iraq?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: We consider that there is no necessity to adopt a new resolution at present. There is UNSCR 1441, which provides the necessary legal basis for the work of inspectors. Since its adoption last November UNSCR 1441 has demonstrated that it can assist a political settlement. The international inspectors of UNMOVIC and IAEA have all the necessary legal possibilities for the performance of their mission. Therefore we consider that right now there is no necessity to adopt a new resolution, the less so a resolution which would signify the termination of the inspectors' work and opening of possibilities for the use of force. This would go against the natural logic of developments in Iraq, of which we are today witnesses.

Question: Won't the position held by Russia, Germany and France lead to a split in the Security Council of the United Nations?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: We must, first and foremost, be guided by the interests of peace and security, in this case in the Persian Gulf area. We may have different approaches to this problem, but we've got a common aim. This is of fundamental importance. We have no differences of opinion. We are all, and this is once more underlined in the statement, for the disarmament of Iraq and for strict and complete compliance with all the UN Security Council resolutions. It was this common aim that enabled us to unanimously pass UNSCR 1441. Our countries have consistently been acting in accordance with this resolution. We do not retreat a step from the position which we took from the very beginning. We speak in support of compliance with the resolution, for a political solution and in support of the preservation of unity on the Council. It cannot be held that our position might lead to a split in the UNSC. Our position is consistent. If all act consistently in accordance with Resolution 1441, a split in the Council is not bound to happen.