[EXCERPTS] TEXT: UN SPOKESMAN'S DAILY BRIEFING FOR APRIL 29, 1998
United Nations -- Juan Carlos Brandt, Senior Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, briefed. 29 April 1998 Press Briefing DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ............ Mr. Brandt said that the Office of the Iraq Programme was pleased to announce that as of Monday, 27 April, under Phase III of the "oil-for-food" programme, 72 approval letters to ship humanitarian goods to Iraq had been issued. Of those, 65 fell within the food sector and seven for other humanitarian aid, including medicines. On 27 April, the total amount of funds in the United Nations Iraq Account available for humanitarian supplies was approximately $503 million. Of that amount, $493 million was used for food contracts and $10 million for other humanitarian contracts. Prior to 27 April, funds were allocated on a first-come-first-served basis as stipulated by the rules and procedures of the Security Council Committee monitoring the sanctions against Iraq, he went on. That approach was also requested by the Government of Iraq. On 27 April, the Permanent Mission of Iraq had submitted to the Secretariat a request to consider on a priority basis contracts pertaining to tea and vegetable ghee only. That request was implemented with an understanding that other food contracts would be postponed. Currently there were approximately 170 approved contracts remaining, awaiting receipt of oil revenues under the oil-for-food programme. ................ A correspondent sought clarification on the official United Nations position in light of the interpretation of the 23 February Memorandum of Understanding given yesterday by Mohammed Al-Sahaf, the Foreign Minister of Iraq, at his press conference. That interpretation appeared to be at odds with statements made by the Secretary-General and other Secretariat officials. Could the official United Nations position be clarified in terms of what the Memorandum meant about rights of unrestricted access to the eight presidential palace sites? Mr. Brandt said he did not have a copy of the agreement and its annex, but that if he did, he would ask the correspondent to read it and to draw whatever conclusions could be drawn from a very clear and very straightforward text. He went on to say that the Memorandum of Understanding spoke for itself and it would not be prudent of him to analyse something that was so clear to everybody. If the understanding of the way in which the Memorandum was being analysed or interpreted by other people was different from what it contained, it would not be prudent for him to say anything about it. "I will just draw your attention to the fact that in our view, and in the Secretary-General's view, the text and language of that Memorandum of Understanding speaks for itself." The correspondent said that Minister Al-Sahaf had characterized the Secretary-General's position. In that case could the Secretary-General be asked, as he travelled around Africa, to clarify his position on the question of access and precisely what it meant? Mr. Brandt said he had talked to Spokesman Eckhard last night and given him an account of what had been said at the press conference by the Iraqi delegation. Mr. Eckhard would look into it. "Hopefully I will have something for you if Fred comes back to me." Another correspondent asked whether Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs and Head of the Special Group charged with inspection of the presidential palace sites, Jayantha Dhanapala, could come down to brief the media. Mr. Brandt said he was to have been present this morning during a press conference concerning disarmament but was unable to attend as he was participating in the morning Cabinet meeting. Mr. Dhanapala had informed officials of his department that he would be absent and they had been present to brief the media. But not a single correspondent had showed up and so the press conference did not take place. ............ (end text)
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