Russian and Spanish Foreign Ministers Will Discuss in Detail Situation Around Iraq

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Spain Igor Ivanov and Ana Palacio will discuss the situation around Iraq at their negotiations in Moscow on Tuesday. As official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko told RIA Novosti in his interview, this question will be discussed "in great detail," with due account for the decisions taken at the emergency summit of the European Union in Brussels.

The positions of Russia and Spain, which is at the present time a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, on this problem differ. Madrid believes Iraq's co-operation with the weapons inspectors of the United Nations is "not sincere" and calls for toughening the position of the international community in case Iraq fails to show more enthusiasm in co-operation with the United Nations. For its part, Moscow stands for a political solution of the Iraqi problem and for further activities of the international inspectors.

Igor Ivanov and Ana Palacio will also discuss the state of affairs in the Middle East, the question concerning the nuclear programme of North Korea, co-operation between Russia and the European Union, including the problem of the Kaliningrad region, the settlement in Western Sahara and relations between Russia and NATO.

In the Embassy of Spain in Moscow, RIA Novosti was told that the ministers would also touch upon the latest agreement achieved by NATO on rendering military assistance to Turkey.

Apart from that, the sides will analyse the state and prospects of Russian-Spanish relations.