Security Council members expect the US to circulate a revised resolution on Iraq early next week, and Russia said Friday the positions of the five veto-wielding members are now significantly closer.
But Moscow continued to oppose language that would allow the United States to attack Iraq on its own, and made clear that "considerable differences" remain on key issues.
While diplomatic contacts continued Friday between key capitals, UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix briefed the 10 elected Security Council members on his plans for inspections and talks with US President George W. Bush in Washington on Thursday about the US proposal.
Later, Blix met Iraqi Ambassador Mohammed Al-Douri. The Iraqi envoy said he requested the meeting to hear first-hand about Blix's talks with Bush and other senior US officials.
"He told me the most important thing is the United States chose the path of the United Nations to resolve the problem," Al-Douri said, but he expressed skepticism about Bush's real motive because the president is committed to ousting Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
"I still think the United Nations will be used as a tool for America to implement their political program against my country," he said. "I hope that what they said is the truth, that the United Nations is the best way ... (but) we cannot trust them."
After seven weeks of negotiations, and almost daily demands from Bush for the UN to act against Iraq or face being irrelevant, Washington is now slowing down its timetable.
US officials say a vote is unlikely until late next week because of the need to revise the resolution and have the council discuss the updated draft -- which will delay UN action until after Tuesday's US midterm elections.
Nonetheless, the US is increasingly optimistic about support for a tough resolution in the 15 member council, and has claimed it has nine "yes" votes, the minimum needed for adoption.
The revised US-British draft is expected to make minor changes to plans for new inspections. But its unclear whether it will meet Russian, French and Chinese concerns about language which could authorize a US attack.
US officials said the new text would extend a deadline for Iraq to declare chemical programs unrelated to weapons from 30 days to 50 days.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said that "in the last few days we have succeeded in bringing the approaches of the five permanent members ... closer."
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