Addressing the UN Security Council currently debating the Iraqi issue, the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Fawzi Shobokshi yesterday reiterated that Saudi Arabia seeks to save Iraq and the region from war and its destructive consequences, and urges a solution through the United Nations. Such a solution, he said, should aim at implementing the relevant UN resolutions, while maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity and avoiding its partition under any circumstances. He noted that international opposition to war on Iraq cannot be underestimated as long as there is an opportunity to implement UN demands peacefully, emphasizing the importance of finding peaceful solutions for the sake of world stability. Moreover, international inspection teams should be given enough time to complete their mission and implement UN Resolution 1441. At the same time, Iraq should provide the required information to the inspectors. It is also incumbent on Iraq to resolve the problem of missing Kuwaiti citizens, prisoners of war, and the detainees from other countries.

Ambassador Shobokshi went on to affirm the Kingdom's support for the destruction of all weapons of mass destruction, whether in Iraq or other countries - including Israel. Failure to reach a solution in the Palestinian issue, he added, is not caused by violence and extremism in the region, but by not addressing the issue fairly and justly in accordance with UN resolutions and the principle of land for peace.

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