Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Geneva, 18 December 1998
N° 71

In a statement on the current crisis concerning Iraq issued today in Madrid, the President of the Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Miguel Angel Martinez, expressed support to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, for the efforts undertaken by the United Nations to resolve the conflict using the mechanisms which are enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

He stressed that Iraq must fully comply with the resolutions and decisions of the United Nations Security Council and live up to its commitments to the international community.

Mr. Martinez also recalled that, throughout its 109 years of existence, the Inter-Parliamentary Union has consistently called for the peaceful settlement of all disputes by means of negotiations among the parties concerned. He regretted the recent bombings which can hardly lead to any solution and insisted that the crisis must be solved in compliance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and in full respect for international law.