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STATEMENT BY THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN

(Quai d'Orsay, April 3, 2000)

The U.N. Security Council has unanimously adopted resolution 1293 which doubles the quota for spare parts and oil equipment that Iraq is allowed to import every six months. The arrangement is valid for phases VI and VII of the "oil-for-humanitarian supplies" mechanism. The Council also indicated it would be favorable to extending the arrangement to the next phases of the humanitarian program. Lastly, the Council said it was ready to make a rapid examination of the recommendations in the March 10 report of the U.N. secretary-general and the provisions of part C3 of resolution 1284.

This development must be analyzed in the tragic context of the humanitarian situation in Iraq which had caused our alarm and led us to formulate various proposals at the origin of the following gains:

- First, doubling the quota on spare oil parts that Iraq is allowed to import was a French proposal which we made last fall. We are satisfied that our Security Council partners have come round to our position on this question. Iraq's oil industry is now in a dilapidated state as all the independent experts on the ground can see. Still Iraq has to be able to export sufficient oil and oil products to have the necessary income to purchase humanitarian supplies. In addition, the ramshackle state of the country's oil industry poses serious risks to the environment and the safety of personnel.

- Second, we are satisfied that the Security Council is ready to implement finally the humanitarian part of resolution 1284. This text was adopted in December 1999. Most of these measures are subject to the approval of the Sanctions Committee or the Security Council. Yet several of our partners have shown no haste to implement these measures. We hope that from now on the Iraqi people will see progress in this area.

- Lastly, we support several of the recommendations contained in the March 10 report of the secretary-general, in particular ending the practice of blocking humanitarian contracts without justification (the stalled contracts now amount to about $1.6 billion or 11 billion FF) and speedier reviews of contracts by certain members of the Sanctions Committee.

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