Text of report by the Iraqi news agency INA

Baghdad, 15th January: The official spokesman of the Iraqi Culture and Information Ministry today welcomed Russia's announcement on its readiness to dispatch reconnaissance and Russian surveillance planes to carry out the tasks of the UN Special Commission [Unscom] in Iraq, instead of the US spy U-2 planes.

Commenting on a statement by Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev today, the Iraqi spokesman said that Iraq had reaffirmed, on many occasions, that the insistence of the Unscom and the US administration on using the US spy U-2 plane did not serve the goals and tasks of the Unscom stipulated by the relevant Security Council resolutions.

The spokesman added that Iraq had reaffirmed that this insistence only served the US political and espionage goals, namely to spy on Iraq's military and economic capabilities and make up excuses to perpetuate the unjust sanctions imposed on its people.

The Iraqi spokesman added that the Russian announcement confirmed the soundness of what the Iraqi authorities had said, namely that alternative planes with the same technical specifications could be provided by other countries to carry out the tasks of the Unscom, free from US espionage and political purposes.

The spokesman added that this would help the Unscom come out with fair and just assessments in its inspection work instead of the premeditated procrastination and delay.

The Russian defence minister announced this in a joint news conference with his French counterpart in Paris today.

Noting Iraq's objection to its territory being under the surveillance of US spy U-2 planes, the Russian minister said: Russia is ready to present a proposal to place its planes at the disposal of the Unscom.

Source: INA news agency, Baghdad, in Arabic 2045 gmt 15 Jan 98

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