UN: Eckhard on UN-Iraq Talks

BRIEFING BY FRED ECKHARD
SPOKESMAN FOR THE U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL

UNITED NATIONS
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

6 May 2002

Excerpts

. . .

**Iraq Talks

As you know, once talks with the delegation headed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri ended last Friday, the Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on those talks, and then told reporters that the talks moved forward, and he hoped that, within a month, there will be further talks with “constructive proposals” after the delegation has reported back to Baghdad.

The talks, he said, focused on disarmament, but he also noted that Sabri had confirmed information received from Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa that the Iraqis are ready to return the Kuwaiti national archives, and would work with the United Nations to transfer the assets back to Kuwait. If that transfer happens, he said, “it will be a positive development.”

Hans Blix, the Chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission dealing with Iraq, said he had advised the Security Council that, “if the Iraqis were to provide cooperation in all respects . . . then one could come to a result within a time span of a year.” We have transcripts of that press encounter upstairs.

. . .

As of August 2006, Iraq Watch is no longer being updated. Click here for more information.

Search WMD profiles Iraqi entities of concern Iraq's suppliers UN documents Government documents Controlled items Perspectives	BRIEFING BY FRED ECKHARD SPOKESMAN FOR THE U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL UNITED NATIONS Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General 6 May 2002 *Excerpts* . . . **Iraq Talks As you know, once talks with the delegation headed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri ended last Friday, the Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on those talks, and then told reporters that the talks moved forward, and he hoped that, within a month, there will be further talks with “constructive proposals” after the delegation has reported back to Baghdad. The talks, he said, focused on disarmament, but he also noted that Sabri had confirmed information received from Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa that the Iraqis are ready to return the Kuwaiti national archives, and would work with the United Nations to transfer the assets back to Kuwait. If that transfer happens, he said, “it will be a positive development.” Hans Blix, the Chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission dealing with Iraq, said he had advised the Security Council that, “if the Iraqis were to provide cooperation in all respects . . . then one could come to a result within a time span of a year.” We have transcripts of that press encounter upstairs. . . .