REMARKS BY FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV

RUSSIA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

September 2, 2002

Foreign Minister Ivanov: The visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, Mr. Naji Sabri, is a successive and a very important link in the series of regular Russian-Iraqi consultations dedicated to discussing topical international problems, as well as questions of bilateral relations.

Our talks with Mr. Sabri passed in the atmosphere of openness characteristic of the dialogue between Russia and Iraq. We paid much attention to questions of a political settlement of the situation around Iraq. We were unanimous in the view that it is necessary to continue vigorous efforts aimed at an early solution to the crisis, a full-scale settlement of the Iraq problem on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

In this context we examined in detail the set of questions relating to the implementation of these resolutions. The international community must have guarantees of nonrenewal of Iraq's programs for the creation of WMDs. To accomplish this task requires the restoration of international disarmament monitoring, which, in its turn, should open the way to the lifting of sanctions on Iraq. In this connection we stressed that the readiness expressed by Iraq to receive in Baghdad the head of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, Mr. Hans Blix, and to discuss with him the technical aspects of the renewal on Iraqi territory of UN inspection activity was a step in the right direction. Russia supports continuation of the dialogue between Baghdad and the Secretary General of the United Nations and believes this to be very important for achieving a political settlement of the situation.

We also examined questions of bilateral cooperation and expressed satisfaction with the dynamics of relations between Russia and Iraq. An active political dialogue is being conducted between our countries on a broad range of questions. In the first place, it is a settlement of the situation around Iraq, as well as a whole series of other topical international problems, including the Middle East.

Commercial and economic ties are successfully developing between our countries. We are grateful to the Iraqi leadership for the favorable conditions being created for the work of Russian companies in Iraq. We regard cooperation with Iraq as corresponding to the interests of our states and intend to work further in this direction.

We agreed to continue our contacts with Mr. Sabri in the course of the session of the UN General Assembly, which is beginning next week, so as to further assist actively in the political settlement of the situation around Iraq.

Question: Will Russia use its right of veto in the UN Security Council in the event of a military action being taken against Iraq?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: Our talks today again convince us that there are sufficient possibilities to find a political settlement of the situation around Iraq. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of states, and this is being publicly declared, stand precisely for a political settlement of the problem on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. We today agreed to continue further our coordinated efforts in just this direction. We have already repeatedly stressed that any force-based solutions not only would complicate Iraqi settlement, but would also seriously undermine the situation in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. We do hope that in the form you have referred to, this question will not be raised in the UN Security Council and so Russia's veto will not be required.

Question. Was the issue of the return of UN inspectors to Baghdad touched upon in the course of the talks?

What is your attitude to the reports about the contacts of an official from the Russian embassy in Washington with a representative of the Iraqi opposition?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: We did consider the question of the return of UN inspectors to Iraq. We hold that this is an indispensable condition for resolving the situation and lifting the sanctions on Iraq. There is a letter, and that was reported in the press, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq addressed to the UN Secretary General, in which it is suggested that a preliminary discussion of a number of technical questions should be held. We consider it necessary that in the course of the dialogue between Iraq's representatives and the UN Secretary General and also Mr. Blix these questions should accordingly be agreed upon so as to soon establish conditions for the resumption of the activity of the international inspectors.

With regard to the unofficial contact of the official of the Russian embassy with the representative of the Iraq opposition in Washington I can say that this ordinary event was, from our point of view, artificially blown up in some media in order to put our relations with Iraq in a bad light. To every diplomat it is known that in order to possess extensive and objective information one needs contacts. But this in no way means a correction of Russia's policy in questions of Iraqi settlement or in our relationship with Iraq. Therefore this matter did not even deserve being discussed by us with the Minister.

Question: If the moves towards return of the inspectors to Iraq prove unsuccessful, what measures, in Russia's view, should Iraq take?

Foreign Minister Ivanov: Once again I would like to stress: we believe that a solution of the Iraqi problem can only be political. Of course, we are carefully analyzing all Washington's statements about there being no alternative to the military solution. We have received no substantiated argument which would attest that Iraq does pose a threat to US national security. We believe that there are considerable possibilities to realize the potential for political settlement. The return of the international inspectors to Iraq is one of its major elements. Therefore today much of our conversation was dedicated to just this question. I will say frankly that I see no alternative to the return of the international inspectors. I believe that it is our task not to look for an alternative, but to establish conditions for the early return of the inspectors and their fulfillment of their mission, which would open the way for the lifting of sanctions on Iraq.