U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri agreed to meet in New York on March 7 to resume their dialogue, the U.N. announced Monday.
"The Secretary-General expects to have focused discussion on the implementation of the relevant security council resolutions, including the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. The first round of talks took place last February.
"The Iraqis have expressed the willingness to continue the dialogue, if necessary, after April 5th. In other words after the Arab League Summit in Beirut," Dujarric added.
Commenting on this announcement, a U.S. spokesman reminded reporters of what U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell said earlier this month that the talks should be "short".
He said the clarification of resolution 1284, that established the U.N. monitoring, verification and inspection commission (UNMOVIC), will start after the U.S. and Russia finish the goods review list (GRL) that would allow Iraq to import all humanitarian items.
Russian envoy Sergey Lavrov told reporters his government is in favor of this dialogue and hopes it would not be just an exchange of old positions but rather an attempt to search for ways to implement the council resolutions.
"There is no other way. Resolutions must be implemented but the modalities to implement them, in particular the modalities to implement resolution 1284, could be usefully clarified, which, in our conviction, could open the way for inspectors to come to Iraq and resume ongoing monitoring and inspection activities," he said.
Annan Comments
Kofi Annan, General Secretary of the United Nations warned the United States on Monday, against launching an attack on Iraq, according to a Scotsman Tuesday report.
Annan’s intervention came as Washington stepped up its rhetoric over plans to stage a second phase in the framework of the global campaign against terrorism.
Speaking after discussions with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in Downing Street, Annan said the US would be "unwise" to attack Iraq.
He said, "I don’t think Washington has taken any decision yet as to what to do about Iraq, but I myself am on record as saying that any attack on Iraq at this stage would be unwise."
On his part, Blair is expected to hold a summit with President George W. Bush in the US in April, at which the next steps in the campaign against international terrorism is sure to be high on the agenda.
Annan’s discussions with Blair also dealt with Afghanistan, with the UN Secretary General saying that the detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, including several Britons, should be treated in accordance with international norms.
"It is important that all prisoners be treated humanely," said Annan.
As well as Blair, The UN General Secretary used his visit to London to hold talks with Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, John Prescott, the deputy Prime Minister, and Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary.
A Downing Street spokesman played down suggestions that the UK would support a US attack on Iraq, "We have always said that there would be a second phase to the battle against terrorism, but what September 11 showed us is that the Americans are carrying this forward in a way which takes account of the views of the coalition partners”.
"There is no proposal for any action against Iraq, but we have said there are issues to do with weapons of mass destruction. It is important not to get too far ahead of ourselves."
When asked whether any fresh evidence has emerged suggesting Iraq’s complicity in international terrorism since the Cabinet Office published its charge sheet against Osama Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network, the spokesman said there was not. (Albawaba.com)
