DATE=02/23/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-N-Iraqi Meetings (L Only)

NUMBER=2-272946

BYLINE=Breck Ardery

DATELINE=United Nations

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: A high level delegation from the Iraqi government will begin two days of meetings with United Nations officials on Monday. VOA Correspondent Breck Ardery reports there are no expectations of any major breakthroughs on two substantial issues.

TEXT: The Iraqi delegation, led by Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Sahaf, will be meeting with U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his top assistants, including those responsible for legal, disarmament and humanitarian affairs.

Diplomats say they expect no breakthrough on Iraq's desire to have international sanctions lifted or on the U-N mandate that Iraq permit weapons inspectors to enter the country. Both the sanctions and the weapons inspection system were authorized by the U-N Security Council and only the Council can change them.

For more than two years the Iraqi government has refused to allow weapons inspectors in the country and that refusal continues to be Iraqi policy. U-N spokesman Fred Eckhard was asked if there is any significance to the fact that Hans Blix, the man in charge of the weapons inspection commission, will not be attending any of the meetings with the Iraqis.

///Eckhard act///

Hans Blix does not report to the Secretary-General. He reports to the Security Council. So you have the senior disarmament official in the Secretariat, Jayantha Dhanapala, sitting in on the Secretary-General's talks with the Iraqis. That is the rationale for the composition of the delegation.

///end act///

The meetings will come just a little more than a week after the American and British bombing raids near Baghdad. Secretary-General Annan recently said the timing of the raids might make the talks "awkward." He said he doubts the meetings will result in any "miraculous breakthrough" but added that if he had no hope of any progress, he would not bother holding the meetings.

The meetings may cause some frustration among journalists at the United Nations. No briefings on the substance of the talks are expected until after they end late Tuesday.(Signed)

NEB/UN/BA/EJB/PT