Vladimir Putin, Gerhard Schroeder Discuss Situation Around Iraq in a Telephone Conversation

A telephone conversation between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was held Monday on the initiative of the German side.

Putin and Schroeder expressed satisfaction with the fact that the conclusions made by the international inspectors fully confirm that there exist real possibilities for settling the Iraq issue, RIA Novosti correspondent was told in the press service of the Russian president.

It was pointed out in the Kremlin press service that the statements made in the UN Security Council by Hans Blix (UNMOVIC) and Mohamed El-Baradei (IAEA) to the effect that there are no grounds for stopping the investigation in Iraq, conducted in keeping with Resolution 1441, and the intention to present a detailed plan for going ahead with the inspections confirmed that possibilities for a peaceful settlement really exist.