US-German Talks Fail to Iron out Differences on Iraq, Ties

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, October 31, 2002

US-German Talks Fail to Iron out Differences on Iraq, Ties

Visiting German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and his US counterpart Colin Powell on Wednesday failed to end the discordance over the issues of Iraq and bilateral relations.

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Visiting German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and his US counterpart Colin Powell on Wednesday failed to end the discordance over the issues of Iraq and bilateral relations.

Speaking to reporters after talks at the State Department, Powell said he updated Fischer on the work the United States is doing in the United Nations to obtain a tough resolution to disarm Iraq.

"I communicated to him our position with respect to the need for consequences in such a resolution," Powell said, without mentioning if the two sides have reached any agreement on that.

Fischer, whose country will begin a two-year term as a UN Security Council member in January, endorsed the need for "a strong message to the regime in Baghdad."

"There is a disagreement about possible military action, but nevertheless we are fully supportive for the implementation of the Security Council resolution and the beginning of the UN weapons inspection in Iraq," he said.

Relations between the two allies were strained during Germany's recent elections by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's repeated pledge not to involve German troops in any possible US-led attack on Iraq. Schroeder was narrowly re-elected on Sept. 22.

On bilateral ties, Powell said the United States and Germany "are two friends, two allies that occasionally find ourselves with areas of disagreements and some rough spots."

"As befitting the kind of relationship we have, we're confident that in due course we will get over these disagreements and we'll find ways to resolve any differences that may exist," Powell said.

Fischer echoed him by saying: "We are close allies, and I think that if there are differences and turbulence, we will discuss these problems inside the family."

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