Russia urges Saddam to accept UN Resolution

Russia’s deputy foreign minister today called on Baghdad to accept the UN resolution allowing arms inspectors to return, suggesting the Iraqi parliament’s rejection was the result of “emotions.”

Yuri Fedotov also urged Saddam Hussein to “take a pragmatic approach” to the issue.

He said that Russia would do everything it could to ensure a peaceful solution of the stand-off with Saddam over weapons of mass destruction.

Speaking a day after Iraq’s parliament rejected the Security Council resolution, Fedotov said that Iraq’s ”internal debates can probably be explained by the fact that the language of the resolution is certainly quite tough.

“And so the emotions that the resolution may evoke in Iraqi society are in principle understandable,” he said. ”Nonetheless, we hope that the Iraqi leadership will take a pragmatic approach.”

“I would like again to express the hope that the Iraqi leadership weighs the pros and cons and in the end makes the decision that everyone is awaiting from it,” Fedotov told a news conference in Moscow.

The final decision rests with Saddam, who must respond to the United Nations by Friday.