UN-Iraq Talks to Resume on April 18

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 26, 2002

UN-Iraq Talks to Resume on April 18

Planned talks between senior Iraqi officials and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan are set to take place in New York from April 18 to 19, a U.N. spokesman said Monday.

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Planned talks between senior Iraqi officials and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan are set to take place in New York from April 18 to 19, a U.N. spokesman said Monday.

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters at a press briefing that Annan was hoping for a substantive and focused discussion, specifically on the issue of arms inspectors to Iraq.

He emphasized that the secretary-general was functioning as an intermediary. "The secretary-general is not empowered by the ( Security) Council to negotiate anything less than full compliance with council resolutions," he said.

"What he hopes for is Iraq's signal to the council through him that they are ready to comply fully," the spokesman said.

The mid-April meetings follow on contacts between the secretary- general and Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri on March 7, which focused on core issues including the return of U.N. weapons inspectors to Iraq. U.N. inspectors have not been able to operate in the country since 1998.

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