First Iraq Weapons Talks "Useful," UN Says
(Iraqi delegation will return in April) (690) By Judy Aita Washington File United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- Calling the first talks between the United Nations and Iraq on returning UN weapons inspectors to that country "frank and useful," a UN spokesman said March 7 that a second round of talks will be held in mid-April "based on a well-defined agenda agreed in advance." The talks between Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri and Secretary General Kofi Annan were the first in three years. Since 1998, Iraq has refused to cooperate with the UN on any further weapons inspections or the destruction of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and their programs. Also attending the meeting was Hans Blix, executive chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), which oversees the weapons inspections. UNMOVIC was created in December 1999 to replace the UN Special Commission on the destruction of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (UNSCOM), which was set up as part of the cease-fire agreement at the end of the Gulf War. Until this meeting, senior Iraqi officials had never met with Blix -- the former head of the International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA) -- who was appointed to head UNMOVIC in 2000. In an interview with the New York Times newspaper March 6, Blix said that the Security Council resolutions meant unrestricted access for weapons inspectors. "The resolutions make it quite clear that there should be access that is unconditional, immediate and unrestricted," he said. UN officials said little about the meeting. UN spokesman Fred Eckhard read a statement at the end of the talks, which were held in two parts totaling about three hours. "The secretary general found his talks this afternoon with the Iraqi foreign minister both frank and useful. They focused on core issues such as the return of the UN weapons inspectors to Iraq, Kuwaiti and Iraqi missing persons, and the return of Kuwaiti property," Eckhard said. "On this last issue they agreed that a concrete way will be found for Iraq to return some Kuwaiti property through the United Nations," he said. "The Iraqi side raised a number of specific concerns, such as the lifting of sanctions, no-fly zones, and the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East," the spokesman said. "It was agreed that the two parties would meet for further discussions in mid-April based on a well-defined agenda agreed in advance," Eckhard said. Sabri told journalists that he and Annan "had a constructive and positive exchange of views on various issues related to the Iraq/UN relationship. The UN side raised the UN concerns and we raised our own concerns and we had a positive and constructive exchange of views on these concerns." "Our concerns are legitimate because they are stated in the Security Council resolutions and so we tackled these issues and hopefully we shall continue in the same spirit," the foreign minister said. Annan is to brief Security Council members on the talks at a private meeting March 8. Before the meeting, Annan said that he hoped the Iraqis were "coming in a constructive spirit." The secretary general said that his priority was the return of the UN weapons inspectors and the implementation of Security Council resolutions. Asked if he thought that U.S. threats brought the Iraqis back to New York, Annan said, "I really do not know." He pointed out that Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa initiated the process, adding, "I know that regional leaders would want to see this issue settled peacefully and they are all looking forward to a positive outcome." British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said that, based on the delegation's appearance at UN headquarters, there appears to be a willingness on the part of Iraq "to keep the process going." Nevertheless, Greenstock, who is a permanent member of the Security Council, said, "it is much too early to make a judgment on whether this is for real. Whether they (Iraq) are truly seeing what the route to compliance might be or whether having a process is a way to avoid any consequences." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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