The Arab leaders share the Irish view that the Iraq issue is a multilateral one that affects the entire region. They reaffirmed that the actions to be taken by Iraq will represent a step towards the goal of making the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, as stated in UN Security Council Resolution 687. I understand that individual Arab countries are in regular contact with Baghdad, conveying the seriousness of his position to Saddam Hussein. I hope these initiatives and those of other peace-minded countries will ultimately bear fruit and so help to avoid conflict.