Igor Ivanov Quotations

We believe the use of force against Iraq, especially with reference to previous resolutions of the UN Security Council, has no grounds, including legal grounds.

Resolution 1441 does not give anyone the right to an automatic use of force. Russia believes that the Iraqi problem should be regulated by the Security Council, which carries the main responsibility for ensuring international security.

The resolution has made a real threat of war go away and opens the way for further work in the interests of a political- diplomatic settlement of the situation around Iraq.

We are at the start of the 21st century and there are many risks in the world and we think that collaboration between Russia and the Vatican corresponds to the common good,

We have assurances by the president and vice president that the American side says they will follow the ABM treaty, ... Any possible plans must be agreed to, and that's what we discussed.

There is a process of real disarmament under way.

There are no issues that cannot be resolved through dialogue and compromise on the basis of existing legislation and the constitution,

Must the UNMOVIC and IAEA inspectors continue their work in Iraq in the interest of a political settlement? Have all the necessary conditions to that end been met? Russia answers yes to that question. The conditions are there. The inspectors must continue their inspections. And this is a position shared by the overwhelming majority of states in the world, including within the Security Council of the United Nations.

must be searched for through dialogue, including with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Maybe by color, maybe by number, maybe something else.

Nobody has the right to act on their own in the name of the United Nations and even less to pretend to be the judge of the entire world,

on goods that may be used for humanitarian problems in Iraq.

On some aspects of this question, our opinions coincide, but there are many complicated issues which still remain to be worked out together, ... Our opinion (is) that all sides should refrain from any action which would further complicate the situation and further complicate the work that we are trying to carry out together.

I am going to discuss the situation in the region, questions of our bilateral relations and the current situation at the Kosovo stretch of the Yugoslav-Macedonian border,

Certain developments in Russian politics and foreign policy in recent months have given us pause,

If in the coming days the situation does not change, we need to take additional extraordinary measures, including at the highest level,

There is movement -- movement in the right direction,

The purpose of this is to coordinate such tasks which would make it possible to break the situation, which makes special threat to the security and stability to Europe, and to direct the events ... towards a peaceful settlement,

Our common goal is to ensure that Iraq should not have weapons of mass destruction, ... It must be attained on the basis of the U.N. Security Council's resolution No. 1441. All other goals go beyond the limits of our interests.

NATO continues, using ultimatums, to insist Belgrade and the entire international community accept the alliance's demands.

I think only facts alone should corroborate this. In order to get the facts, we need to bring about the speedy return of the inspectors to Iraq.

We live in hope and Russia will do everything it can to ensure that as a result of these talks international security will be strengthened and no harm will be done to anyone's interests,

will help activate the political mediation of the situation in that country with an active role of the United Nations.

without any artificial delays, without any artificial obstacles.

We have turned the corner, ... any deviations or surprises.

We aren't hiding anything, ... We're prepared to completely inform the U.N. secretary-general and world community of how things really stand.

We are not trying now to carry out any major ground attack, ... The job consists of liquidating the terrorist groups and not allowing any more loss of lives among the civilian population and the Russian military. The way this is done depends on the situation.

The problems of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq can be solved by political means,

Unfortunately, the latest events have shown that we don't have it.

who should give a clear answer to the question of whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction or not.

We are worried about pressure being put on inspectors by certain circles in Washington,

We are comfortable that Syria is actively participating in the implementation of the resolution relevant to the investigation into the assassination of the former premier.

We will continue to look for points of coinciding,

We will consider any new resolutions that support the weapons inspectors' work. But we will not support any resolutions that directly or indirectly authorize using force against Iraq,

The reasons for this are being determined. They have been ordered to leave Kosovo immediately and to await further orders,

Together, we are prepared to lay a foundation for a more secure future for the entire world,

We speak in the same voice with the United States because Washington, too, is interested to stop the spiraling of tension and normalizing the situation in the region. It is important not only that we speak in the same voice but that we also act in coordination with one another, which Russia is in favor of,

We think it necessary that an active and meaningful dialogue on this topic be resumed with the new U.S. administration as soon as possible,

We think it could further aggravate the situation in the region, which is difficult as it is,

This will without doubt play into the hands of separatists in Kosovo and Montenegro wanting to leave the (Yugoslav) federation,

We are sure the upshot of her visit will be not only a narrowing of our positions on many international problems but also a new impulse to the development of our relations, ... Both sides are trying for exactly that.

We have discussed the principles today, ... Now we will start to go to the practice.

complete political and military control of the Russian side.

Even as we speak, the exchanges of information are under way related to the activities of different extremists and terrorist organizations, including in Afghanistan,

isn't the way that could help find a political solution.

Is it really a concern about humanitarian problems? ... We are open to that and confirm that today. But those organizations who we welcome in the Caucasus, why are they so indifferent to the situation in Yugoslavia?

The schedule has now been disturbed and the wording of the resolution has become difficult,

Russian efforts and the direct efforts of ...(Russian special envoy) Viktor Chernomyrdin have not found the understanding and proper support of NATO leadership,

Russia is ready to actively participate further in resolving the situation,

Say another terrorist turned up in London, Bin Laden ... and he were to announce that new terrorist attacks were forthcoming against civilian sites in the United States,

After four years since the beginning of the tragedy in the Balkans, we have to recognize the painful fact that this conflict has brought nothing but grief, suffering and destruction, ... There have been no winners in this war, nor could there have been any. Everyone has lost -- the Serbs, the Croats, the Muslims and Europe as a whole.

Some participants are trying to put formulas unacceptable to Russia, including on Chechnya, into the declaration,

One has to be fully aware of the fact that the prevailing system of arms control agreements is a complex and quite fragile structure,

One has to act with respect, just as with any sovereign government,

any form of international presence requires the agreement of the government of Yugoslavia.

As far as the terrorists -- who do not respect human norms -- are concerned, they must lay down their arms. Otherwise, they will be fought with anti-terrorist measures,

authorizes the violent overthrow of the leadership of a sovereign state.

aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the activity of the international inspectors.

The Yugoslav people should be completely free to express their will without any internal or external pressure,

It's evident that taking into account the wealth accumulated in the many years of relations between both nations, it's logical that the ties between Cuba and Russia continue to develop,

It was extremely important for us to receive from Chairman Arafat assurances that the Palestinian leadership is adhering to the road map, will fulfill all points of this map, and that within that leadership there is no disagreement on the issue,

does noes not meet the criteria which the Russian side has stated earlier and affirms now.

Everyone realizes full well that if a military conflict breaks out in Kosovo, it would willy-nilly spread over the neighboring states as well as to the Balkans as a whole,

everyone -- from the top officials down to the bottom -- understands what to do.

Not necessary at present to adopt any new resolutions.

I know there are a lot of people looking for conflict. There are a lot of issues on which we don't agree, but that is not unnatural,

I'm convinced that if we continue to solve in this manner the most complicated questions, then the Russian-American relationship, as well as the cause of peace as a whole, will benefit,

If the United States unilaterally begins military action in relation to Iraq, it would violate the U.N. Charter and, of course, when the U.N. Charter is violated, the Security Council must gather, discuss the situation and make the corresponding decisions,

In our view, it is important to carefully preserve (the system that) has been built up over the decades and that has also functioned as a guarantee of international security.

In accordance with international law, those who give such orders should be held responsible, including in a criminal way, ... The international tribunal on the former Yugoslavia should immediately look into this.

Iraq's debt to the Russian Federation comes to $8 billion U.S. and as far as the Russian government's position on this, it is not planning any kind of write-off of that debt.

I confirmed our position that an immediate end to the bombing is necessary or, at least, a pause in the bombing must be declared while talks continue.

Carrying out this plan allows not only for reinforcing KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) detachments, but also for carrying out a ground operation. NATO is currently preparing for such an operation,

For now, it's a step in the right direction, but it's only a step,

The main aim is to prevent the events in Afghanistan from destabilizing the situation in neighboring countries, ... What is happening in Afghanistan goes beyond the boundaries of this country and has regional significance.

The Iraqi leadership has to understand that this is an unconstructive road toward the worsening of the crisis and the worsening of the suffering of the Iraqi people,

The important thing is that this document should allow us to achieve the objectives that we had, which is to stop the war in the Balkans. If we achieve that in the nearest future, then we can be satisfied with this resolution.

aggression against a country which needs help and support to retaliate.

the country which is attacked must have weapons to defend itself.

The collapse of the ABM Treaty would, therefore, undermine the entirety of disarmament agreements concluded over the last 30 years,

The day on which the black cloud of dust from the collapsed skyscrapers overcast the blue sky over New York will go down in world history,

A military strike will not help normalize the situation but will have the opposite effect,

The meeting between Boris Yeltsin and Jiang Zemin took place in a very warm and friendly atmosphere, ... Our relations are now at a peak and that meets the interests of both nations as well as the interests of regional and international stability.

The information that our American colleagues will present must be then given to the international inspectors who must use it in their work and give their corresponding evaluation of it,

The main task ... is to stop bombing. After that, Russia is ready for working out the U.N. resolution, which will give the basis for post-war settlement in Yugoslavia,