Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I will be discussing this issue tomorrow with Mr. Chirac and I have already discussed it with many people. We welcome the decision of the USA to circulate a draft Security Council resolution on Iraq. A new resolution would be helpful in gathering broad international support, which could assist in stabilising the new Government that takes office at the end of this month. The draft resolution is a basis for negotiation and discussions which are now under way with other Security Council members. We hope a consensus can be achieved and that the unity of the Security Council will be preserved.

I had an opportunity to speak to a number of Latin American members — not full members — of the Security Council. The Government will welcome any resolution which endorses the earliest possible restoration of sovereignty to a democratically elected Iraqi Government which gains the requisite support and satisfies the concerns of the UN about the mission in Iraq. I understand that President Chirac said during a press conference that he wants to ensure any force is UN-based and that the UN will be the driving force in the area in the future. This is not very different from what others are saying.

I discussed the issue with President Putin who said that the Americans must be involved centrally because of the number of their people involved in the area. The UN mandate must be clear. I spoke to the President of Chile at the weekend who made the same point. People are determined to try to get this right for all sorts of reasons, not just because of the difficulties that occurred last year but because of the difficulties after the new interim administration takes up office on 1 July. That administration will have its own pressures and difficulties. The feeling is that it must have autonomy over its decision-making in as far as it is possible, which it must now work on. There is a need for cohesiveness not just on the part of America but of all the others involved in extending the force as time goes on. In the next fortnight or so there must be a consensus on the position the EU is advocating. To go forward without a consensus will result in a continuation of what has been happening for 15 months.

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