IVANOV IN BAGHDAD. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov
arrived in the Iraqi capital on 13 November at the start of a
seven-day tour of the Middle East. He immediately called for
concrete measures toward lifting the UN embargo on Iraq
within what he called the "framework of a resumption of
international inspections" in Iraq. The next day, RIA quoted
Ivanov as saying that current international policies of
sanctions and military pressure on Iraq have caused only
human suffering and that "one should not only demand that
Iraq make good on decisions taken by the international
community but also create favorable conditions for it to do
so." Ivanov urged the international community to "drop old
stereotypes and start looking for ways to solve the problem
constructively while taking into account the interests of all
Gulf states." JC
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