A US call to lift UN sanctions on Iraq drew cool reactions today, including a Russian warning against the plan, as diplomats warned that securing accord may be difficult.
Moscow, a fierce opponent of the US-led war, fears such a move - which would open the floodgates of Iraqi oil - could hurt its own heavily oil reliant economy. One deputy said it appeared "mercenary".
French President Jacques Chirac, who also opposed the war, insisted that the United Nations must decide exactly how sanctions on Iraq should be lifted, after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.
The European Union's Greek presidency said the sanctions should be lifted once the situation had "normalised" on the ground.
"Obviously, the embargo has to be lifted," Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis told reporters after two days of EU meetings in Athens. But before this happens he said there has to be a "general normalisation" on the ground.
But in Moscow a foreign ministry official said Russia will oppose the proposal until UN inspectors confirm the country has no weapons of mass destruction.
"Regime change in Baghdad is not a condition for lifting economic sanctions on Iraq," the official told the Interfax news agency on condition of anonymity.
US President George W. Bush yesterday he would soon propose a UN resolution ending the 13-year-old crippling economic sanctions, which put an embargo on the trade of Iraqi oil.
The United Nations imposed sweeping sanctions on Iraq after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990. They included a ban on all trade with Iraq, an embargo on its oil exports and an arms embargo.
Mr Bush also called on the United Nations to end the UN-administered "oil-for-food" program, which since 1996 has enabled Iraq to export limited amounts of oil and use the revenues to buy basic humanitarian supplies.
In New York, diplomats warn that the may be easier said than done, given divisions within the UN Security Council.
Some pointed out that it will be difficult to fully lift the sanctions until a new and internationally recognised government takes control over Iraq.
"If you're asking me do we have specific language or specific formulations to propose at this specific moment in time, the answer is no," said US ambassador to the UN John Negroponte.
Moscow, which has called for the United Nations to play a central role in the reconstruction of Iraq, fears lucrative contracts could go to the US-led coalition that ousted Saddam Hussein.
"Russia supports bringing inspectors back to Iraq to fufill their duty of shedding light on whether Iraq does or does not have weapons of mass destruction," the Russian official said.
And Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, cast doubt on the reasons behind the US announcement, less than a week after Saddam's regime.
"We should determine just what the United State is after - something seems wrong, the approach is too mercenary," he was quoted by Interfax as saying.
Mr Chirac, speaking in the sidelines of an EU summit in Athens, also reiterated his desire to proceed "pragmatically" now the war is all but over.
"Faithful to its principles, France will naturally broach these questions in a pragmatic manner, case by case," he said, adding that he had discussed the issues with UN chief Kofi Annan.
Asked how France expected to work with the US and British forces in Iraq, Mr Chirac replied "in the way which will be defined by the UN."
AFP