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1) War On Iraq Would Mean A Bloodbath: Russian Foreign Minister 2) Russia Prepared To Use All Means, Including Veto, To Stop US-UK-Spanish War Resolution 3) Russia Calls On All UN Security Council Members To Support Political Settlement Of Iraq Issue 4) French, Russian Diplomats Craft Joint Approach To Security Council Action 5) The Bait: Senator Richard Lugar Drafts Cancellation Of Jackson-Vanik Amendment, Granting Of Most Favored Nation Status To Russia http://www.gazeta.ru/intnews.shtml?240206#240206 Gazeta.ru March 11, 2003 War on Iraq would mean 'bloodbath' - Russian foreign minister -"[I]t's perfectly obvious that Iraq cannot resist [the USA]. For precisely this reason it [the military operation against Iraq] will turn into a bloodbath," the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Moreover, he added, an operation like this "will lead to civilian casualties and destruction rather than a solution to the problem that led the UN Security Council to adopt the relevant resolutions". Russia will vote against the resolution on Iraq submitted to the UN Security Council by the USA, Britain and Spain, if it is put to a Security Council vote, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Igor Ivanov said today as he was made an honorary doctor of philosophy and philology at the Moscow State Linguistics University. The minister stressed that "during the last UN Security Council session we did not hear any serious arguments in favour of resolving the Iraq problem by force. Russia believes that no additional UN Security Council resolutions are required now and for this reason Russia has stated openly that if the draft resolution that has been submitted for consideration today and which contains ultimatums which cannot be met is actually put to a vote, Russia will vote against it." Asked whether Iraq could currently put up military resistance to the military potential of the USA, Ivanov said: "Of course, not." "To answer this question it is sufficient to look at the statistics - it's perfectly obvious that Iraq cannot resist [the USA]. For precisely this reason it [the military operation against Iraq] will turn into a blood bath," the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Moreover, he added, an operation like this "will lead to civilian casualties and destruction rather than a solution to the problem that led the UN Security Council to adopt the relevant resolutions". //Interfax ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.gazeta.ru/intnews.shtml?240331#240331 Gazeta.ru Reuters March 11, 2003 Russia repeats threat to block draft Iraq resolution -Ivanov also said Russia was studying France's call for a U.N. summit on Iraq involving heads of state and government, leaving open the possibility that President Vladimir Putin might be ready to travel to New York for a Security Council session. Russia repeated on Tuesday its intention to use its U.N. Security Council veto, if necessary, to block a draft resolution proposed by the United States, Britain and Spain giving Iraq a March 17 deadline to disarm. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told reporters during a visit to Tehran that Moscow remained opposed to the current proposed resolution � although he did not address suggestions by British and U.S. officials that it might be modified. "Russia is very much against this resolution which is in the works. We will vote against this," Ivanov said through an interpreter at a joint news conference with Iranian Foreign Minster Kamal Kharrazi. Ivanov also said Russia was studying France's call for a U.N. summit on Iraq involving heads of state and government, leaving open the possibility that President Vladimir Putin might be ready to travel to New York for a Security Council session. "I believe it is acceptable. It is a proposal that is being extensively studied. Perhaps this will be possible," he said. Ivanov said Russia, which along with fellow Security Council permanent member France has threatened to block the new resolution, believed U.N. weapons inspectors should be given more time to complete their work in Iraq. The fifth permanent member, China, has said it sees no need for a new resolution but has left unclear what it would do if one were put to a vote. "We don't think new decisions need to be taken," Ivanov said. "Today more than ever we are sure that a political solution is possible. We have said repeatedly that the Russian Federation will be against any effort which overtly or covertly opens the way to the use of force. ------------------------------------------------------- http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=3086958&startrow=1&date=2003-03-10&do_alert=0 Russian Information Agency (Novosti) March 10, 2003 MOSCOW CALLS ON UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO "TAKE A DECISION IN FAVOR OF A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT AROUND IRAQ" -As for the draft resolution submitted by Britain, the U.S. and Spain, he went on, "we think that the categorical demands in this resolution, first, cannot be fulfilled and, second, they contradict the line being realized on the basis of previous resolution 1441." Therefore Russia "has already declared, and repeats it once again, that it will not be able to support such a resolution." -Ivanov again repeated that, "if the resolution is submitted, Russia will vote against it." Moscow, March 10. /RIA Novosti corr./ - Moscow calls on "all states, above all the UN Security Council member states, to display a responsible approach to this most difficult situation and take a decision in favor of a political settlement around Iraq," Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Monday in an interview broadcast on the Russian TV. Russia's stance on the issue, he said, was repeatedly brought to the notice of our partners through various channels and was also stated at UN Security Council sessions. The Russian Foreign Minister said that "no new resolution is needed at present, and every support should be given to the IAEA and UNMOVIC inspectors who have already demonstrated and stated publicly at a UN Security Council meeting that they are capable of fulfilling the mission of Iraq's disarmament, as envisaged in a corresponding Security Council resolution." As for the draft resolution submitted by Britain, the U.S. and Spain, he went on, "we think that the categorical demands in this resolution, first, cannot be fulfilled and, second, they contradict the line being realized on the basis of previous resolution 1441." Therefore Russia "has already declared, and repeats it once again, that it will not be able to support such a resolution." It is believed in Moscow that "at present it would hardly be expedient to submit such a resolution for debate to the UN Security Council." Ivanov again repeated that, "if the resolution is submitted, Russia will vote against it." According to the Foreign Minister, "all necessary opportunities exist at present for settling the situation around Iraq in a political way." The international community, in his view, "should use this possibility." ------------------------------------------------------- http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=3086938&startrow=1&date=2003-03-10&do_alert=0 Russian Information Agency (Novosti) March 10, 2003 RUSSIA'S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER AND FRENCH AMBASSADOR IN MOSCOW DISCUSS JOINT ACTIONS OF TWO COUNTRIES IN UN SECURITY COUNCIL MOSCOW, March 10. /RIA Novosti corr./ - Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Yuri Fedotov and French Ambassador in Moscow Claude Blanchemaison discussed at their Monday meeting specific matters associated with joint actions by the two countries in the UN Security Council. The meeting was a follow-up to continuing close Russian-French consultations on Iraq settlement. The sides confirmed during the talk their "common position on the unacceptability of the Anglo-American draft resolution of the UN Security Council on Iraq and also adherence of our countries to strengthening the UN role as the main mechanism of regulating international relations." ------------------------------------------------------- http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=3087774&startrow=1&date=2003-03-11&do_alert=0 Russian Information Agency (Novosti) March 11, 2003 SENATOR RICHARD LUGAR SUBMITS DRAFT LAW ON CANCELLATION OF JACKSON-VANIK AMENDMENT WITH RESPECT TO RUSSIA WASHINGTON, MARCH 11, 2003. /FROM RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT ARKADY ORLOV/--The well-known US Republican Senator, Richard Lugar, who is chairman of the Senate's international affairs committee, submitted for the Senate's consideration a draft law on cancelling the restrictive Jackson-Vanik trade amendment with respect to Russia. Lugar also demands that Russia be given the most favoured nation status in trade with the USA, the status which most countries of the world have. Lugar stresses in its statement circulated in Washington that it is senseless to further use the 1974 amendment. Over the recent years, similar amendments were cancelled with respect to other countries of Eastern Europe and former USSR. The same should be done with respect to Russia, the Senator pointed out. According to him, the cancellation of the Jackson-Vanik amendment and giving Russia the most favoured nation status in trade will improve the investment climate and will make it possible to further develop economic relations between the USA and Russia. The administration of George Bush supports the draft law presented by Lugar. A similar document was submitted in 2002, the statement points out. ------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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