The Hindu : Russia steps up efforts to avert war

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 05, 2003

International

International

Russia steps up efforts to avert war

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW MARCH 4. Russia is mounting efforts to delay, if not avert the war against Iraq, encouraged by the Turkish Parliament's refusal to allow American troops on its territory.

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, today described the Turkish vote as ``the most important development in the past week.''

The decision "may have come as a surprise to somebody, but not to Russia,'' Mr. Putin said in what could be a veiled reference to Russian diplomatic efforts.

The Russian Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, went to London on Tuesday to persuade the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, not to force a vote on the tough U.S.-British resolution on March 7, when the Security Council meets to debate the first U.N. inspectors' report on Iraq.

Ahead of the trip, Mr. Ivanov discussed the crisis with his counterparts in Germany and France, Russia's allies in the anti-war coalition.

The Foreign Ministers of the three countries "reiterated their unwavering support for resolving the crisis through politico-diplomatic methods,'' said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

If action cannot be prevented, Moscow hopes that growing international opposition to war against Iraq will at least discourage Washington from seeking a Security Council vote on its resolution giving green light to military action.

``We believe that bringing the British-American draft resolution to a vote in the current situation is increasingly unfounded and unjustifiable,'' said the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Yuri Fedotov, describing the draft as ``out of touch with the situation on the ground and the progress in fulfilling the Security Council resolutions on Iraq.''

By persuading Washington to withdraw its war resolution from the Security Council, Moscow would avoid having to use its veto right and thereby save its anti-terror partnership with the U.S.

``The veto power ... is to be used in the most extreme situations. We hope that such an occurrence will not arrive,'' the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister was quoted as saying today.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

Bush despot of the century: Saddam

U.K. in `war' mode

Russia steps up efforts to avert war

Tigers, UNICEF agree on checking child recruitment

Pressure to withdraw charity status of RSS, HSS in U.K.

Sept. 11 attack mastermind flown out of Pak.

Israel rejects Palestinian draft statute

Al-Qaeda leader to be treated `humanely'

China non-committal on seat for India

Pak. concerned over Arrow missile sale

Colombo arrests 75 Indian fishermen for encroaching

Pak. to go ahead with SAF Games