March 16 2003
France, Russia and Germany issued a joint declaration today, saying there was no justification for a war on Iraq and that UN weapons inspections were working.
The trio called for a foreign ministers' meeting at the UN Security Council on Tuesday to discuss a "realistic" timetable for Saddam Hussein to disarm.
The meeting would follow the latest progress report due to be delivered by chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix.
"We reaffirm that nothing justifies in the present circumstances putting a stop to the inspection process and resorting to the use of force," said the declaration, issued by the Foreign Ministry in Paris.
The declaration came a day before US President George W Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain are scheduled to hold an emergency summit on Iraq.
"The use of force can only be a last resort," the document said.
"We solemnly call on all the members of the Council to do everything possible" for the peaceful disarmament of Iraq.
The three nations have been leading efforts to block a quick US-led invasion of Iraq.
They proposed the foreign ministers discuss "disarmament priorities and draw up a strict and realistic timetable" for Iraq to rid itself of its alleged weapons of mass destruction.
A German foreign ministry spokeswoman said the declaration was agreed upon today by the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Russia.
The three were in telephone contact with one another, she said, but declined to elaborate.
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