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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohammed ElBaradei Sunday urged his Iraqi counterparts to offer more assistance to facilitate weapons inspections.
ElBaradei made the call at a press conference in Baghdad jointly held with UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOMIC) Chairman Hans Blix at the end of their visit to Iraq.
He told reporters that "we want to see Iraq to be eager to comply and not dragged to comply."
"There are remaining some outstanding issues and, of course, they have to be to be taken seriously," he added.
ElBaradei said he and Blix came to Baghdad to seek for full inspection, full Iraqi cooperation and movement on the remaining disarmament issues, adding a good progress had been made on all these issues.
"We made it clear to Iraq they need to move on the whole file," he said, stressing Iraq's cooperation must be "simultaneous" in all areas.
ElBaradei expected the UN Security Council to give inspectors more time as long as UN arms inspectors were making good progress.
Blix and ElBaradei arrived here Saturday for a new round of talks with Iraqi officials which will be crucial for their updated reports on Iraqi disarmament to the UN Security Council on Feb. 14.
They are expected to deliver their updated reports to the UN Security Council on Feb. 14, the date analysts term as a crucial for peace or war.
A US-led war on Iraq looms large as the United States has stepped up its military buildup in the Gulf region.
(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2003)
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