Security Council members urge Iraqi action on return of Kuwaiti property

Following a closed-door briefing on Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recent talks with senior Iraqi officials, members of the Security Council today voiced hope that Baghdad would act on pledges to return missing Kuwaiti property.

Mr. Annan's Chef de Cabinet, Iqbal Riza, "reported some Iraqi movement towards complying with obligations under the resolutions on Kuwaiti property and archives, and on agreement on the setting up of a mechanism for that," according to the current Council President, Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom.

Council members "expressed the hope that this would lead to concrete Iraqi action on those issues," said the President.

He added that the members "repeated the need for Iraq, immediately, to fulfil all requirements under the resolutions, including on Kuwaiti missing persons and on the unconditional return of weapons inspectors."

The members of the Council expressed "deep gratitude to the Secretary-General and his team for persevering with these efforts with the Iraqi team on implementation of the resolutions," Ambassador Greenstock said.

The talks, held in Vienna on 4 and 5 July, followed on previous rounds held in New York on 7 March and from 1 to 3 May.