Annan Says Talks With Iraq Going WellUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday said that his talks with Iraqi delegation were going well.Speaking to the press before starting the last rounds of talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf, Annan said they had a long discussion Monday which focused on disarmament and other issues. "We had good discussions and good atmosphere," the U.N. chief said. "We are going to continue, and I hope that we will be able to tackle all the key issues so as to be able to move forward." "From the indications they have given, we also are anxious to find a way to break the impasse," Annan said. However, he noted that the talks were going to be tough and he did not expect miracles in the two-day meeting. Commenting on the sanctions, the U.N. chief said Iraqi people were not the target of the sanctions. "One has to find ways to strengthen the disarmament regime and give relief to Iraqi people. " Annan said after the talks, he would brief the 15-member Security Council. "The discussion and policy-making will be up to them," he said. The two-day talks between Annan and Al-Sahaf, which started Monday, are aimed to break the current impasse over U.N. arms inspections in Iraq which has been suspended since the U.S.-led military strikes against the country in December 1998. Iraq reiterated that lifting sanctions is the precondition for U.N. arms inspectors to return. At the end of Monday's talks, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf made a very strong statement to the press, saying that there would be no return of U. N. arms inspectors even if sanctions are lifted. |
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