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UN responsible for verifying Libya WMD declarations, says UK

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Jan. 14, IRNA -- The British government has moved towards 
clarifying the dispute over the dismantling of Libya`s weapons of 
mass destruction (WMD) by saying that UN agencies have the 
responsibility for verifying Tripoli`s declarations. 
Foreign Office Minister Denis MacShane told MPs Tuesday the 
upcoming visit to the UK by Libyan Foreign Minister Abdulrahman 
Shalgam will "form part of the process of implementing" the decision 
by Libya to dismantle its WMD programmes. 
Britain and the US, he said, will be taking forward the "practical 
issues" of verification and the dismantling "in partnership with 
Libya and with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and 
Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)." 
"Within their respective remits, the responsibility for verifying 
Libya`s declarations lies with the IAEA and the OPCW," MacShane said 
in a written reply to parliament. 
He said that it is for the Libyan authorities to inform these 
organisations about the details of their programmes. "Declarations, 
as always in these areas, will need to be detailed and 
comprehensive," he said. 
Last week, officials from MI6 and CIA of the US were reported to 
be holding talks with head of Libya`s intelligence service, Musa 
Kusa, to resolve a dispute over who will dismantle Libya`s WMD after 
last month`s agreement to scrap any programmes. 
The dispute was said to be over Libya wanting the United Nations 
to take the lead but that Washington wanting experts from America and 
Britain to be in charge. 
HC/212 
End