German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Sunday that the Iraqi issue be solved by peaceful means.
"At the moment we see no basis for the use of force," Putin said after talks with Schroeder.
He added that "unilateral use of force" as threatened by Washington would lead to an escalation of violence in the region and cause innocent civilians to suffer.
Schroeder said latest reports from Baghdad that Iraq is willing to be more cooperative with UN weapons inspectors are encouraging and he hoped that a peaceful settlement of the Iraqi issue could be reached.
Putin did not mention if he had discussed with Schroeder on a reported Franco-German proposal to disarm Iraq with UN peace-keeping force, but said Russia's position is almost identical with that of Germany and France.
Putin, who arrived in Berlin on Sunday morning, is due in Paris on Monday for talks with French President Jacques Chirac on Iraq.
(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2003)
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