Russian FM on Iraq

ChrisD(RJ) chrisd at russiajournal.com
Thu Mar 20 04:48:14 PST 2003


IGOR IVANOV: NO UN DECISION AUTHORIZES USE OF FORCE AGAINST IRAQ

UN, MARCH 19. /FROM A RIA NOVOSTI SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT/ -- No decision of the United Nations on Iraq gives the right to use force against Baghdad bypassing the UN Charter, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said at the New York session of the United Nations Security Council on Iraq.

"Regrettably, at the moment when the prospect of disarmament of Iraq through

inspections has become real, problems directly unrelated to resolution 1441 and other United Nations decisions on Iraq have come to the foreground," he said.

None of these decisions "authorizes a forcible change of leadership in a sovereign state," he said.

"If such actions are taken, they will not be conducive to the strengthening of unity of the international community at a time when the world is badly in

need of solidarity and the pooling of efforts above all to stave off such a real and common threat as international terrorism," stressed Igor Ivanov.

Russia is convinced of the need "to do all for overcoming the critical situation as soon as possible and leave the Iraq problem in the course of political settlement on the strong basis of the United Nations Charter and international law," he went on to say.

"Only in this way can we ensure conditions for the continuation of an efficient multilateral cooperation in the struggle against global threats and challenges with the preservation of the central role of the United Nations Security Council," stressed Igor Ivanov.



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