RUSSIA: Russia said yesterday that it backed US plans to produce details of Iraq's alleged weapons programme today, but insisted they be used by international arms inspectors to continue their work rather than by Washington as a pretext for war.
The Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, also urged other nations to hand over any information they had regarding Baghdad's alleged pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, which the White House says will be proved today when Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, delivers a report to the UN Security Council.
"We will study [the US information\] closely," Mr Ivanov said before flying to UN headquarters in New York. "But above all it should be studied by the international inspectors. . . Only these representatives of the UN Security Council can analyse this kind of information, draw suitable conclusions and present them to the Council.
"We ask other countries that might possess this type of information to make it available to the international inspectors," he added, calling their work part of the "very important" drive to find a political solution to the arms crisis.
President Bush yesterday briefed the Russian President, Mr Putin, on what Mr Powell would tell the Security Coiuncil today.
Mr Ivanov said he had no advance knowledge of what Mr Powell may present to the UN, amid reports that he would deliver a dossier of satellite images and recordings of intercepted Iraqi phone calls that points to a concealed weapons programme, deception of the arms inspectors and links to Al-Qaeda.
President Putin said on Monday that a further resolution from the UN Security Council, where Moscow holds a veto, might be necessary if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein does not offer full co-operation to weapons inspectors. Mr Putin also conceded that use of force could be a necessary last resort.
But a foreign ministry spokesman said yesterday that Moscow was still determined to prevent Washington taking unilateral action against Baghdad, even while President George Bush insists his patience with Saddam is running out.
"We work from the fact that there is no basis for using force against Baghdad," spokesman Mr Alexander Yakovenko said. "The inspectors have not reported any violation of the Security Council resolution. Baghdad is offering swift access to inspection sites and organisational help to the inspectors."
Russia has maintained close links with Iraq, particularly in the energy sector, and several of its firms have signed major oil deals.