Russia considers Iraq's destruction of Al-Samoud missiles as a sign of cooperation between Baghdad officials and United Nations weapons inspectors. According to the Itar-Tass news agency, Yuri Fedotov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, reported that Iraq's action demonstrates the effectiveness of the UN weapons inspectors' operations. Mr. Fedotov also stated that the latest report from Hans Blix, head of the UN inspection team in Iraq, confirms the progress made and indicates that inspections should continue. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow will maintain this position during the UN Security Council meeting on March 7, which will discuss Mr. Blix's latest report. Meanwhile, Moscow announced its willingness to send military personnel to Baghdad to assist UN weapons inspectors in finding banned weapons in Iraq. However, General Yuri Baluyevsky stated that Russian forces will not participate in any combat operations in Iraq.
Russia Considers Iraq's Destruction of Al-Samoud Missiles as a Sign of Cooperation with UN Inspectors
Russia views Iraq's destruction of Al-Samoud missiles as a positive sign of cooperation with UN inspectors. This statement comes from Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov, who emphasizes the effectiveness of the inspections. The situation is significant as it reflects Russia's diplomatic stance and involvement in the Iraq disarmament process.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Russia has expressed that Iraq's destruction of Al-Samoud missiles is a positive sign of cooperation with UN weapons inspectors. This statement highlights the effectiveness of the inspections and Russia's support for continued oversight.
- Iraq destroyed Al-Samoud missiles as part of disarmament efforts.
- Russia is willing to send military personnel to assist UN inspectors but will not engage in combat.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The destruction of Al-Samoud missiles is part of Iraq's obligations under UN resolutions following the Gulf War, aimed at preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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