Esteemed Mr. President,

Esteemed Mr. Secretary General,

Esteemed colleagues,

The Iraq problem bears a many-sided character. On the one hand, we concur that it is necessary to get Iraq fully and effectively disarmed in conformity with UN Security Council resolution 1441. On the other hand, it is abundantly clear that how we will deal with this problem will not only determine the future of Iraq. In essence, we are now laying the foundations of safeguarding peace and security in today's conditions.

Herein lies the special responsibility of this moment and of the choice which we have to make. If we manage by joint efforts to resolve the Iraq crisis in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, this will, of course, have a positive effect on our efforts in the settlement of other conflicts, and what matters most - become an important step towards a new just and secure world order.

This is why Russia has consistently and persistently been working for a solution of the Iraq problem on the basis of international law and the UN Security Council resolutions. And today there are more grounds than ever before to say that this is not only a realistic, but also the surest way.

The report presented by Mr. Hans Blix shows that thanks to our common energetic work, thanks to the pressure that from all directions had been exerted on Baghdad, including through building up the military presence, it has been possible to achieve substantial progress in the implementation of resolution 1441.

Let us look at the facts. In Iraq there has been introduced and is operating an enhanced regime of inspections. The international inspectors are being given prompt, unimpeded, unconditional and unlimited access to any sites in Iraq. In the course of the inspections active use is being made of helicopters and planes, including for the purposes of aerial surveillance.

On the whole the level of cooperation by Iraqi authorities with the inspectors profoundly differs from the practice that took place under the previous UN Special Commission.

Mr. Hans Blix and Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei have more than once pointed out, including in their latest reports, the problems with holding interviews with Iraqi specialists. We share the opinion that the Iraqi leadership should more energetically encourage its citizens to participate in interviews, including those without witnesses. Judging by the latest reports, such interviews are gradually becoming the normal practice.

In the course of the inspections there have appeared qualitative shifts in the tackling of concrete tasks. For the first time in many years the process of real disarmament is under way in Iraq. Weapons proscribed by the Security Council resolutions are being eliminated. It is the Al-Samoud-2 missiles, which were officially declared by the Iraqi side and are now being destroyed under UNMOVIC control. It is the discovered 122-mm shells capable of carrying chemical agents. The Iraqis handed over to the inspectors for analysis fragments of more than a hundred R-400 aviation bombs. Experts are studying the possibility of soil analysis at the sites of destruction of VX gas and anthrax pathogens. Baghdad has handed over to the inspectors several dozen new documents, which are now being analyzed.

In principle, we agree with the opinion of Dr. Blix that if the recent positive steps of Baghdad had been taken earlier, then the results would now be weightier. But it is important that the steps have been taken, and they, as the heads of UNMOVIC and IAEA note, are opening the way to the solution of the problems still outstanding. And this is of fundamental importance. Furthermore, I want to draw attention to one more important aspect, which Mr. Blix has stressed, notably the creation of long-term monitoring of the non-reproduction of WMD in Iraq. This is yet another, important insurance mechanism.

In this connection the question arises whether it is wise now to wind down the inspections and thus cancel the momentum-gathering process of the disarmament of Iraq? Let us once again weigh up what meets the true interests of the world community: to continue the work of the inspectors, which, though not easy, is bringing tangible results, or to resort to force, which will unavoidably involve great human casualties and turn into grave and unpredictable consequences for regional and international stability.

In our firm conviction, the possibilities of disarming Iraq by political means are there - and they really exist. Therefore what's needed at present is not new UN resolutions, we have enough of them, but active support of the inspectors in the implementation of the existing decisions. Russia strongly favors the continuation and increase of inspection activity, the imparting to it of a more purposeful character. This aim would be served by the speediest possible - literally in the coming days - submission for approval by the UN Security Council of a work program of UNMOVIC with the inclusion in it of a list of key remaining tasks in the field of disarmament. Those tasks must be formulated with maximum clarity and be implementable. This will enable us to objectively evaluate the degree of Iraq's cooperation, and most importantly - give an exhaustive answer to all the questions left open about the proscribed Iraqi military programs.

Mr. President,

Esteemed colleagues,

Of course, we all face a not easy choice indeed. Hardly anyone of us can lay claim to the truth in the last instance. Therefore it is only natural that different points of view are being expressed in the course of our discussion. But those differences should not lead to a split among us. We all stand on the same side of the barricades. We share common values. And only by acting jointly shall we be able to counter new global threats and challenges effectively.

We are confident that from the Iraq crisis the UN Security Council must emerge not weakened and disunited, but united and strong. And for the sake of this goal Russia will continue to work.

Thank you for your attention.