Russia calls for swift UN clarification of Iraq's WMD issue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Russia calls for swift UN clarification of Iraq's WMD issue

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov on Tuesday called on the United Nations to make a speedy and final conclusion on whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov on Tuesday called on the United Nations to make a speedy and final conclusion on whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

"We have an ambiguous situation where the sanctions have been removed from Iraq and the disarmament process has not been completed formally," Interfax quoted Fedotov as saying prior to a meeting with Demetrius Perricos, acting chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC).

It's time to put an end to the lingering issue and it is necessary to decide now how UNMOVIC can complete its work in Iraq, Fedotov said.

He also urged the UN inspectors, who withdrew in March just before the US-led war was staged, to return to the war-ravaged country.

If no WMD could be found in Iraq, the UNMOVIC should report to the UN Security Council so a corresponding decision can be made, he said.

"If the coalition forces find any materials or types of weapons, these finds must be certified and confirmed by independent international experts," Pedotov insisted, saying the issue must be clarified as soon as possible.

As an alternative, Fedotov also proposed that the coalition provide the UN commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency with the appropriate materials and results of their search for WMD.

"In any case, we are waiting for the UN Security Council report on this issue," Fedotov said.

Russia, which has steadfastly opposed the US-led military actions against Iraq, has been critical of the coalition forces' failure to find WMD, which the United States is looking for with every possible means in a desperate bid to justify its war that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime.

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