Question: Foreign ministers of Collective Security Treaty (CST) member-countries are going to meet in Moscow on November 5, it was reported. What are the aims and tasks of this meeting?

Answer: The idea is to discuss issues connected with the situation surrounding Iraq and its effects on regional and international security. The situation developing around Iraq is also bearing on the interests of CST member-countries.

The task of the meeting is to formulate a coordinated approach to the problem with a view to keeping the settlement process within the political and diplomatic field. The Russian side plans to discuss with CST partners ways of easing tensions around Iraq and directing the situation into political channels. This would finally help in perspective to suspend and then lift the sanctions regime.

Question: What is Russia's position on international inspectors starting their activities in Iraq?

Answer: Russia is coming to this forum in the belief that an early start in Iraq of activities by disarmament inspectors from UNMOVIC and IAEA could produce exhaustive answers to international community concerns about Iraq's possible possession of banned weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies to deliver them.

Our assumption is that the Iraqi leadership's undoubted consent to a return to their country of UN inspectors to monitor the non-resumption of national programmes for weapons of mass destruction and Iraq's readiness to show flexibility in improving inspection modalities are unlikely to make the UN Security Council adopt a fresh resolution on Iraq. If other Council members deem such a step advisory, then this resolution must have a constructive and realistic character promoting effective control over Iraq's non-reestablishment of the weapons of mass destruction potential, and must not contain provisions on the automatic use of force against Baghdad.

Question: Will the meeting adopt any document on the situation around Iraq?

Answer: A joint statement on the situation around Iraq is likely to be adopted following the meeting.