The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Mr Naji Sabri, pulled off a diplomatic coup yesterday during a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow. Following their talks, Mr Igor Ivanov reiterated his country's opposition to any US attack on Iraq.
"Any decision to use force against Iraq would not only complicate an Iraqi settlement, but also undermine the situation in the Gulf and the Middle East," Mr Ivanov stated.
He indicated that Russia, one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, was opposed to setting a deadline for Iraq's compliance with the demand for the return of weapons inspectors after which a military campaign could be launched with Council authorisation.
"We hope that the question of the use of force will not be put to the Security Council and, therefore, the right of [Russia to exercise its] veto will not be necessary," he asserted.
Mr Ivanov expressed satisfaction over the "continuation of Iraq's dialogue with the UN Secretary General in the belief that such dialogue will lead to the resumption of the work of \ inspectors and to the eventual lifting of international sanctions on Baghdad."
Mr Sabri has met the Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, three times this year trying to work out a package which would allow inspections to resume in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, imposed in August 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Mr Sabri and Mr Ivanov discussed bilateral relations but not did not finalise the $40 billion 10-year trade deal expected to be signed this month. Russia is eager to settle the issue of weapons inspections and end sanctions because Baghdad owes Moscow $7 billion for Soviet-era arms and equipment purchases. Russian oil companies have signed agreements with Iraq for the exploration and exploitation of vast new oil fields in the south of the country which could increase Iraq's output by 40 per cent.
Following his two-day Moscow visit, Mr Sabri will fly to Cairo to participate in a meeting of Arab foreign ministers. Last week he was in Beijing.
In South Africa on the sidelines of the Earth summit, the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Tareq Aziz, said he will meet Mr Annan today. Mr Aziz observed that the resumption of monitoring, halted in 1998, is "still under consideration", indicating a softening of the line he took on Sunday when he stated that the deployment of the new inspection agency, headed by Mr Hans Blix, is "not an option".
The return of the inspectors would, however, be conditional on "a comprehensive settlement" of all outstanding issues between the UN and Baghdad and lead to the lifting of the sanctions regime. Washington and London have demanded the "unconditional" return of the inspectors.
As Iraqi envoys prepared to visit Berlin and Paris to state their case, the country's Minister of Culture, Mr Hammed Yusif Hammadi, met in Sanaa with the Yemeni President, Mr Ali Abdullah Saleh, who reiterated his opposition to US military action against Iraq. Today the Arab Parliamentary Union convenes in Baghdad in emergency session to express solidarity with Iraq and reaffirm Arab rejection of military action against any Arab country.
