Switzerland Offers to Host Talks Between US and Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 27, 2003

Switzerland Offers to Host Talks Between US and Iraq

Switzerland has offeredto host last-ditch talks between the United States and Iraq to avert the threat of war.

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Switzerland has offeredto host last-ditch talks between the United States and Iraq to avert the threat of war.

Swiss Foreign Minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, made the proposition during a meeting Saturday with the US secretary of state, Colin Powell.

During their half-hour meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos where the World Economic Forum's annual meeting is being held, Calmy-Rey urged Powell to be mindful of the humanitarian catastrophe that would follow any military action in Iraq.

"Everyone talks a great deal about oil and sanctions, but Switzerland is concerned above all with people," said Calmy-Rey. "I urged him to consider the consequences of a war."

The new Swiss Foreign Minister said Powell had assured her thatWashington would do everything in its power to avoid conflict. However, he did not comment on the Swiss offer to host talks.

According to a report by Swiss Radio International, in January 1991, Geneva hosted similar, and ultimately unsuccessful, talks between the US and Iraq in January 1991, shortly before the Gulf War.

Calmy-Rey said she had also taken the opportunity to reiterate the position of the Swiss government, stressing that all peaceful means to disarm Baghdad should be sought before resorting to armedconflict.

She added that military action would only be justified under a new United Nations resolution.

Powell, who is scheduled to make a speech on Sunday at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, earlier warned the international community not to retreat from its responsibility to disarm Iraq.

Powell, who is looking to drum up support in Davos, said the UShad the backing of at least a dozen nations should it decide to attack Iraq without a new UN resolution.

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