Foreign ministers from anti-war powers France, Russia and Germany agreed yesterday not to allow a resolution authorizing war in Iraq to be passed in the UN Security Council.
Announcing the decision, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said the three countries also agreed to back more UN weapons inspections in Iraq.
"We will not allow the passage of a planned resolution which would authorize the use of force," he said after a meeting in Paris with his counterparts Igor Ivanov of Russia and Joschka Fischer of Germany.
"Russia and France as permanent Security Council members will fully assume all their responsibilities," he added at a joint news conference with Ivanov and Fischer.
Asked whether France was ready to use its right of veto to block a UN resolution giving the green light for force in Iraq, Villepin added: "We are totally on the same line as Russia."
Ivanov said in London on Tuesday Moscow would not abstain on the resolution, which the US and Britain may introduce next week, and warned it could use its veto power.
Russia and France are both veto-wielding members of the Security Council.
Ivanov also said that China, another veto-wielding Security Council member which last month supported a memo by the three anti-war powers urging more inspections, "shares our approach" on the Iraq crisis.
The ministers said in a joint declaration: "We strongly encourage the Iraqi authorities to cooperate more actively with the inspectors towards the full disarmament of their country. These inspections cannot continue indefinitely."
Villepin and Ivanov were originally due to meet alone in Paris in advance of a key UN meeting tomorrow when arms inspectors are due to deliver their latest reports on Iraqi disarmament.
Fischer cancelled two political speeches in Bavaria yesterday to rush to Paris to join his French and Russian counterparts, his Greens party said. Villepin said all three would travel to New York for the meeting.
"The three foreign ministers want to coordinate their next steps," said a Greens spokesman, explaining why Fischer called off the speeches to traditional Ash Wednesday party rallies.
Germany is currently a rotating member of the 15-seat Security Council. The other two veto powers, the US and Britain, have drawn up a memo with rotating member Spain to declare Iraq in breach of UN resolutions to disarm.
Diplomats in Paris said France, Russia and Germany wanted to ensure they agreed on their common position at a time when Washington seemed to be preparing for an attack and was putting heavy pressure on Security Council members to support its pro-war resolution.
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