Iraq is ready to discuss the return of United Nations arms inspectors provided there are no prior conditions for talks, a senior Iraqi official said this evening.
Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan also told Abu Dhabi Television in an interview broadcast tonight that Baghdad was preparing for the "worst" in case Washington decided to launch fresh military strikes against its 1991 Gulf War foe.
"We do not believe dialogue...with the secretariat is over," he said in the pre-recorded interview. "We believe dialogue without preset decisions and intentions is the correct and only way to solve any problem."
"Indeed another date for the next round [of talks] has not been set due to U.S. pressure but we say that this dialogue is still standing and necessary," he said in the interview.
Iraq, facing possible US military action to topple President Saddam Hussein, has been signalling it might allow the return of the inspectors who left in 1998 amid spying charges.
Iraq held three rounds of talks this year with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to discuss the inspectors' return.
Earlier this month Iraq invited chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix to visit Baghdad for technical talks, but Annan said talks could only take place after inspectors returned.