Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov hinted Thursday that Russia is still dissatisfied with the newly-passed UN Security Council resolution on Iraq and expects further decisions from the world body, Interfax reported.
The resolution is "the product of a difficult compromise," but it "is far from ideal even in its current form," the senior Russian official stressed.
However, "in any case, its provisions go much further than UN Security Council Resolution 1483," Fedotov confirmed.
"Moscow expects that this is not the final decision on Iraq by the UN Security Council," said Fedotov, expressing the hope that the post-war settlement in Iraq will continue to be placed on the top agenda of the council.
Fedotov underlined the importance of the unanimously approved decision that the powers of the occupation forces are provisional and will be discontinued right after a lawful Iraqi government is sworn in.
The official reiterated Russia's readiness for active work in the interests of long-term stabilization in Iraq and the earliest possible hand-over of power to the Iraqi people.
Russia did insist vigorously on a serious revision of the original draft resolution, and the proposals were aimed at a faster process of political settlement in Iraq, the hand-over of sovereignty to the Iraqi people and the practical and weighty functions of the United Nations, said Fedotov.
(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2003)
