Russia, France and Germany back UN resolution
16.10.03 @ 17:44
BRUSSELS - After months of wrangling, the leaders of France, Germany and Russia today (16 October) said they would agree to a security council resolution which paves the way for the United Nations to take a greater role in Iraq's future.
Meeting in Brussels for an EU summit, the French and German premiers held a tele-conference with their Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin were the three agreed to support a revised US, UK and Spanish-backed Security Council resolution.
Speaking at a press conference during the Brussels meeting the French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said France would back the resolution for the sake of unity but, "would have preferred the text to set tighter and shorter deadlines for the transfer of responsibilities and the political transition".
The German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder told journalists "we took note of the fact that the resolution is a really important step in the right direction".
However both Germany and France refused to give any more aid to the country, in spite of being just one week away from a major international donor’s conference in Madrid.
The European Commission had asked EU member states to put their offers on the table ahead of the conference, so that an EU total could be presented.
The Commission itself has vowed to pledge 200 million euro, of which all member states, including France and German have contributed.
However the French and German governments said today that no more money would be forthcoming, although they did offer to train Iraqi police.
The Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini however said it is important that more and more countries provide financial contributions.
Adding: "I would expect a greater degree of generosity and willingness than I might have expected before this resolution was adopted".
"We want to make sure that there is a really substantive contribution to the reconstruction process in Iraq" he concluded.
The agreement followed a move earlier this week when the US tabled amendments to the text.
