Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
STATEMENT MADE BY
THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN
(Paris, April 19, 2000)
France considers Mr. Blix's report on the disarmament commission in Iraq (UNMOVIC) "positive." In your bilateral contacts with Iraq, did you gather there's a positive feeling or encouraging signs among Iraqi leaders about the resumption of inspections and the long-term monitoring of the country's programs of mass destruction?
The adoption of Mr. Blix's report on the structure of the new monitoring commission (UNMOVIC) was the second important step in the application of part A of resolution 1284.
The first was Hans Blix's appointment on January 27 as chairman of UNMOVIC, on France's proposal.
We trust Mr. Blix to set up and operate an effective, collegial monitoring commission. We also insist that personnel must be independent and recruited from as wide a geographical bas as possible. Mr. Blix's report goes in that direction, and we're pleased.
Some level of cooperation with Iraq has to be found because it would be unrealistic now to think of restoring effective monitoring by force. Iraq has not formally rejected resolution 1284 and must now convince itself that its interest lies in cooperating with the new monitoring commission.
We consider that steps can be taken in two directions:
- with regard to the resolution itself, we should spell out the modalities of monitoring imports once the civil sanctions are lifted. It would also be useful to clarify the notion of progress that Iraq has to achieve during a probationary period of 120 days to get the civil sanctions first lifted and then the suspension extended on a regular basis;
- the sanctions committee must also apply the embargo without going beyond what the Security Council resolutions stipulate.
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