No Progress in Returning Iraq-seized Kuwaiti Property: Annan

There has been no progress in facilitating the return of property seized by Iraq during its occupation of Kuwait, according to a new report by Secretary- General Kofi Annan, who urges Baghdad to cooperate with his designated coordinator on the issue.

In a just-released report to the Security Council, the U.N. chief expresses regret that Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov, U.N. special coordinator to Iraq, has not been in a position to achieve progress owing to what it calls "the unwillingness of Iraq to cooperate with him."

Refuting Iraqi claim that the coordinator lacks impartiality as "groundless", the report said: "Ambassador Vorontsov is well known for his integrity, objectivity and even-handed efforts aimed at the resolution of the humanitarian issues of missing persons and stolen properties."

Stressing that Vorontsov's efforts will not succeed unless the Iraqi leadership changes its attitude, Annan said that cooperation between the Baghdad government and the coordinator would lead to " an effective dialogue that would constitute an indispensable step toward resolving the existing problems."

Meanwhile, U.N. Security Council met in a close-door consultation Thursday for its weekly discussion on the U.N. oil- for-food program.

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