Ivanov, Hariri and the war against Iraq

The Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov has stressed that it is necessary to continue exerting efforts in order to halt the war against Iraq, noting the discussion over the Iraqi issue at the UN Security Council showed that the majority of world states are against this war.

During talks with the Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri in Moscow yesterday, Ivanov said that the war against Iraq will not carry any thing except more pains for the Iraqi civilians and undermining stability and security in the region. He also indicated the importance of continued efforts to solve the Middle East question especially on the Palestinian- Israeli track.

For his part, Hariri said that despite the fact that the ME peace process is considered one of the basic issues, however, the aggressive British - American war against Iraq and its grave implications occupied the forefront in his talks with the Russian leadership.