In the letter which was released here Tuesday immediately after it was shared by 15 UN Security Council members, the UN chief extended a welcome to the Iraqi willingness to continue the talks with the world body in a bid to solve the outstanding issues, including the arms inspections and the UN sanctions.

"Members of the council, the executive chairman of UNMOVIC (the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission)and I, welcome your government's expressed desire to continue our dialogue aimed at reaching a comprehensive solution to the outstanding issues between Iraq and the United Nations," Annan said in his letter to Sabri, who wrote to the UN chief last Thursday to voice Iraq's desire to conduct a further round of technical discussions with the chief inspector and his team in Baghdad.

At the same time, Annan pointed out that the inspection and sanction mechanism is "guided by, and must act in accordance with Security Council resolution."

In his letter, Annan quoted council resolution 1284 of 1999, which directs the commission to "draw up, not later 60 days after it has started work in Iraq, for approval by the Security Council, a work program, which will include the key remaining disarmament tasks to be completed by Iraq."

In earlier interviews and press encounters, Annan has made clear that he cautiously welcome the Iraqi invitation, while he would reply the letter by pushing the Iraqis to "clarify" and to show more willingness to allow the world body's arms inspection works which had been waiting for the green lights for four years since 1998.

( August 7, 2002)