Soviet Onion seeks United Nations curb on Iran-Iraq war

Press, 9 March 1988, Page 10

Soviet Onion seeks United Nations curb on Iran-Iraq war

NZPA-Reutpr | New York The Soviet Union said yesterday it was calling for an immediate Security Council meeting to halt further escalation in the Iran-Iraq war. | I i

j “We think that the Security Council may adopt a resolution demanding from both belligerents to stop their ‘war of the cities’ and to show restraint,” the Soviet Ambassador, Alexander, Belonogov, told reporters after consultations among council members. He said he expected , . the council tq meet soon. Mr Belonogov said another useful element of a council resolution might be the appointment of a special representative of the Secretary-General, “Because the situation demands a very firm and constant contact with both the capitals (Bagdad and Teheran),, and [between the capitals and the United Nations.” [ He'-said the resolution could also contain other, unspecified provisions

that “help us to clarify the position of the sides in respect of the resolution 598, which is still the basis for any durable and peaceful solution of the war conflict between these two countries.” Resolution 598, which the council adopted unanimously on July 20, calls for, among other things, an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal to internationally recognised boundaries.

Iraq has said it is willing to implement the resolution on a reciprocal basis. Iran insists that a ceasefire must be accompanied by the establishment of an impartial panel, also provided for in the resolution, to i determine responsibility for starting the war, now in its eighth year. j

Mr Belonogov had earlier expressed his Gov-

ernment s mounting concern over the resumption last week of the “war of the cities” in private meetings on Monday with the Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, and the council president, Dragosltv Pejic of Yugoslavia. He told reporters he had asked them “in the most energetic terms to exert the influence of their high offices” to ensure restraint by Iran and Iraq anjd the immediate cessation of the escalating attacks, involving strikes against each other’s capitals and ' other centres with ground-to-ground missiles 1 as well as planes, j The flurry of Soviet diplomatic | activity over the Gulf War came after Iran recentljl accused Moscow of supplying the rockets used by Iraq to attack Teherai).

The Soviet i Union has denied the charges, but angry- Iranian! demonstrators are reported to [have pelted the Soviet Embassy in Teheran with rocks and firebombs. This prompted the Soviet Foreign Ministry to summon the, Iranian charge d’affaires j to receive a stiff protest. The United Stated and some other council |nembers (have been pressing for months for an [arms embargo against Iran to force! it to abide by the seven-month-old ceasefire resolution. The! Soviet response on this has| been equivocal. Asked again on Monday whether Moscow j supported an arms embargo, Mr Belonogoy told | a reporter: ‘The Soviet Union, as you know} is firmly in favour of the sodnest-pos-sible end of this armed conflict.” I ;