Russian, US presidents agree to continue cooperation on Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 05, 2003

Russian, US presidents agree to continue cooperation on Iraq

Russian President Vladimir Putin andhis US counterpart George W. Bush agreed in a telephone conversation Tuesday to closely cooperate on Iraq in the UN Security Council.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin andhis US counterpart George W. Bush agreed in a telephone conversation Tuesday to closely cooperate on Iraq in the UN Security Council.

"The leaders of the two countries spoke for the continuation ofclose interaction together with other countries in the framework of the UN Security Council on Iraq," Russian presidential press service said.

During the conversation, Bush informed Putin about US views on Baghdad's actions in disarmament, the press service said.

Putin stressed the crucial role of international inspectors in defining further steps in Iraq, the service noted.

The conversation was held one day before US Secretary of State Colin Powell is expected to present at the UN Security Council meeting what the United States says will be additional evidence ofIraq's weapons programs and its links to al-Qaida international terrorism network.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said that Russia would carefully examine the new US evidence.

Ivanov, who was due to leave for New York to attend Wednesday'sUN Security Council meeting, stressed that the international inspectors must examine the new evidence first of all.

He also called on all countries that have information about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction to present it to the international inspectors.

Russia, which has repeatedly opposed unilateral military actionagainst the Arab country and urged for peaceful solution to the issue, however, has hinted at possible change of its stance.

Putin warned last week that Russia might take tough measures with the United States within the framework of the UN Security Council if Iraq created problems to the inspectors. He also said Monday that a new UN resolution might be needed if UN inspectors are not satisfied with the possibilities of working in Iraq provided to them.

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