In Moscow's Opinion No Extra Decisions to Continue International Inspections in Iraq Are Required

In Moscow's opinion, no extra decisions to continue the activities of the international inspections in Iraq are required. This was disclosed by Official Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Aleksander Yakovenko in connection with the forthcoming on January 27th UN Security Council session dedicated to the results of the inspection activities in Iraq conducted by UNMOVIC and the IAEA.

The reports of Hans Blix and Mohamed El-Baradei will be of an "interim character", the diplomat said.

Yakovenko confirmed the Russia's position to continue the work of international inspectors in Iraq.

"Only the inspections can answer the world society whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction or has not," the diplomat said.

"Today there are 250 international activists in Iraq, 110 out of them are the international inspectors from 60 countries of the world," Yakovenko said. According to the data given by the Official Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, 350 inspections were conducted and 210 various objects were inspected by the international inspectors.

"According to the preliminary information that we have, on the whole the work of the inspectors was satisfying and they encountered no serious problems in the course of their work," Yakovenko stressed.