The Omani minister of state for foreign affairs, Youssif Ben Alawi, has called on Iraq to abide by UN security council resolutions as the only way to get sanctions lifted.

Mr Alawi said that, if the Iraqis had objections or reservations, they should be resolved through dialogue with the Secretary General and security council members.

Mr Alawi added that non compliance with UN resolutions, which Iraq had already accepted, would mean a return to confrontation or a paralysis in the work of the UN bodies.

He said that the Gulf Cooperation Council countries were united in their demand for Iraqi compliance with the resolutions, whatever Baghdad's reservations.