The Hindu : Anti-war league survives Iraq war

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 13, 2003

International

International

Anti-war league survives Iraq war

By Vladimir Radyuhin

— AP

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is flanked by the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder (right), and the French President, Jacques Chirac, at a meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Friday. — AP

MOSCOW APRIL 12 . The anti-war coalition of Russia, Germany and France has survived the quick allied victory in Iraq, as their trilateral summit in St. Petersburg showed. Though the coalition leaders insisted their meeting in Russia's former imperial capital on April 11-12 was not aimed at engineering new global splits, their stated positions clearly clashed with the views of the Iraq war allies, the U.S. and Britain.

They vowed to press for the leading role of the United Nations in resolving the Iraq crisis and any other international problems. ``Our views on the main issues practically coincide,'' the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, said after talks with the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, and the French President, Jacques Chirac. "We recognise the central role of the United Nations in international relations.''

The three leaders called for the settlement of the Iraq problem within the U.N. framework. ``The task of restoring the political, economic and social system of Iraq is enormous,'' Mr. Chirac said. "Only the United Nations has the legitimacy to do that.'' Mr. Schroeder said that details of the peace process in Iraq could be discussed with the U.S.-led coalition "but we must reach agreement under the U.N. aegis.''

Mr. Putin warned against the "export of capitalist democratic revolutions'' to other countries in the same way the communist nations tried to export "the socialist revolution''. ``We have always said that the regime of the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, did not correspond to democratic and human rights standards,'' he said. "But this problem cannot be resolved by military means. Up to 80 per cent of the world's nations do not meet Western democratic standards. Are we to go to war with them? The people of these nations alone can determine their future.

The principle of sovereignty should remain unshakable,'' Mr. Putin said.

The three leaders vowed to work for reforming the United Nations to improve its ability to resolve international disputes and conflicts.

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

International

Stories in this Section

Anti-war league survives Iraq war

Saddam is gone, says Al-Douri

Saddam turned down last-minute Russian 'call to go'

Hard fighting might still lie ahead, says Bush

Three letters that could save lives

'Syria must not meddle in Iraq'

Delays, violence mar Nigerian elections

U.N. should have a role in shaping Iraq's future: Pak.

LTTE threatens to keep off Tokyo meet

Two Pak. planes crash