- BEIJING (Reuters) - China
welcomed Tuesday an appeal by France, Germany and Russia for greater efforts
to disarm Iraq peacefully.
-
- "I also noticed that joint declaration was issued
by France, Germany and Russia on Iraq, calling for the further strengthening
of the inspection work of the United Nations," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Zhang Qiyue told a regular news conference.
-
- "We support any effort that is beneficial to settling
the Iraq issue politically," she said.
-
- The joint appeal issued in Paris Monday flew in the face
of a U.S.-led military build-up in the Gulf and warnings from Washington
that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was duping inspectors and playing for
time.
-
- China, a veto wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security
Council, has consistently urged a political settlement of the Iraqi issue
within the framework of the United Nations and called for weapons inspectors
be given more time to carry out their work.
-
-
-
- Copyright © 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon.
|
