France, Germany and Russia to Back New UN Resolution on Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 22, 2003

France, Germany and Russia to Back New UN Resolution on Iraq

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France, Germany and Russia will back a draft UN resolution on lifting sanctions on Iraq since it grants the United Nations an enhanced role in rebuilding Iraq, foreign ministers of the three countries said after their meeting here on Wednesday.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said at a joint press conference with his German and Russian counterparts Joschka Fischer and Igor Ivanov that although "this text does not go as far as we would like, the foreign ministers have decided to vote for this resolution."

"This is because we have chosen the path of unity of the international community," he said.

The draft resolution presented by the United States, Britain and Spain signified the trio's return to the UN on the Iraq issue, and France, Germany and Russia were pleased to see their willingness to cooperate with the rest of the international community, said de Villepin.

The resolution's drafting and revising process involved intensive discussions between the US and the three countries, de Villepin said. "The text on the table is the result of a compromise."

Although the draft resolution is not perfect, it does include an increased role for the world body and respect for international law and existing UN resolutions, he added.

The French foreign minister expressed his belief that the UN's role in Iraq's reconstruction will be strengthened.

De Villepin said the international community still faces challenges in restoring sovereignty in Iraq, respecting national unity and territorial integrity in rebuilding the country, and creating political, economic and cultural conditions for sustained stability in the Middle East.

Iraqis are expected to decide their own future as soon as possible by setting up an internationally recognized government, he said.

Members of the UN Security Council are scheduled to vote on the US-proposed resolution on Thursday. If it breezes through the council, more than a dozen years of economic sanctions against Iraq will be immediately lifted, and Iraq's oil revenue will go to its central bank for aid and reconstruction in the war-torn country.

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