January 30, 2003	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 26,1423

BERLIN, Jan 29: Germany, which will preside over the UN Security Council next month, insisted on Wednesday that the Iraqi crisis should be resolved within the UN body “and only there”.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder urged “all political and diplomatic means” to ensure peace, after talks here with visiting Mexican President Vicente Fox.

“This question must be treated in the Security Council and only there,” he said.

He said UN inspectors needed more time to complete their work investigating Iraq’s alleged programme of weapons of mass destruction.

Schroeder’s remarks followed US President George Bush’s strong State of the Union speech on Tuesday.—AFP