Baghdad Confirms Readiness to Cooperate with International Inspectors

Baghdad confirms its readiness for complete cooperation with international inspectors. Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has had telephone negotiations with his French counterpart Dominique de Villepin and EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's press service reported on Wednesday.

Kharrazi briefed the Europeans on the negotiating process with Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri which had taken place in the Iraqi capital.

The Iranian Foreign Minister stressed the need for Baghdad's cooperation with UN inspectors to prevent military operations against Iraq.

"The Iraqi side has claimed its readiness for complete cooperation with UN inspectors and observers," according to Harrazi.

Dominique de Vilpin and Solana agreed that "it was Iraq that held the key to the prevention of a war and the criteria of Iraq's cooperation was the inspectors' coming report in the UN Security Council."