INTERVIEW WITH IGOR IVANOV
RUSSIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

March 7, 2003

Foreign Minister Ivanov: A very intensive discussion on the situation around Iraq took place in the UN Security Council today. We had heard the regular reports of the heads of UNMOVIC and IAEA on the inspectors' work and today's reports have once again confirmed that the mechanism of inspectors is working. It is in a position to carry out the task which has been set for them, notably the disarmament of Iraq. The heads of both UNMOVIC and IAEA so declared. Therefore Russia feels strongly that the inspectors' work must be continued, and that all the necessary conditions must be created for that. In this context we believe that there is no necessity to adopt any new resolutions right now. There are UNSC resolutions 1441 and 1284, which are working and provide the necessary legal basis for the work of the inspectors.

At the same time, there is, as you know, the draft resolution which was today submitted in the UN Security Council by the United States, Britain and Spain, where actually an ultimatum has been laid down - until March 17 to offer a firm proof that Iraq has either disarmed or is ready to fully disarm. We believe that ultimatums of this kind are unjustified. All the more so as the inspection teams' leaders themselves have asked for several months to complete their work. Therefore Russia, along with many other countries, feels that passing that resolution would be inadvisable. This would not be conducive to a political resolution of the situation around Iraq. And such a possibility of political settlement today really exists. Therefore to disregard this, from our point of view, would be wrong and dangerous, because the other path, and that is the path of war, is fraught not only with great human casualties, but also with grave international consequences. We hope that the countries which have proposed this draft resolution will understand that the road of political settlement may not be easy, but it is a sure way. It guarantees the preservation of peace in this explosive region. We have agreed to continue a vigorous dialogue among all members of the Security Council on the full range of issues linked to the Iraqi situation.

Question: Igor Sergeyevich, today in their statements the representatives of the "party of war," making their case, did not speak of the present day but of Iraq's noncompliance with the various UN resolutions for twelve years. That is, Iraq is being accused of what it did yesterday. Is that legitimate?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: Tracing the line of reasoning of those who today advocate the use of force against Iraq will show that it changes, as the inspectors work more actively. The more effectively they work, the more arguments of this kind appear. First all were unanimous in the UN Security Council in getting the unconditional return of inspectors to Iraq. And Russia played a key role here. Then the question of disarmament arose. Next they began actively saying that disarmament was impossible without a change of regime in Iraq. There exist no resolutions on that score, and even more so the Charter of the United Nations does not envisage this. Afterwards they began to adduce even more far reaching arguments to the effect that regime change must lead to the establishment in Iraq of a democratic regime, which will become the prototype of democratization of the Arab world in general. This kind of evolution of the argumentation is dangerous because it not only may destabilize or complicate the situation in Iraq itself and around it, but also in the entire region. And we know how explosive the Persian Gulf area, the Middle East and the entire Arab world are, considering the existing big unresolved problems there and the smoldering or open conflicts. Therefore, such experiments, from our point of view, are dangerous. And we so told the UNSC meeting.

Question: If the Americans still act unilaterally, that is, in circumvention of the UN Security Council, and begin war, theoretically does there exist the possibility that the Security Council will gather in order to discuss now not Iraq, but the US?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: I think that in all probability, considering the discussion held today, adoption of the new resolution can hardly be expected. If the United States unilaterally begins military actions against Iraq, this will be a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, and, of course, when the Charter is violated, the Security Council must gather, discuss the situation and take appropriate decisions. In what form and when this will be is hard to say because we continue to hope that still, by joint efforts, we will manage to avoid the start of war. Although, judging by today's statements of US official representatives, they are disposed to just this kind of scenario.