Secretary-General's press encounter [unofficial transcript]

SG: You know I am meeting the [Security] Council this afternoon at three to discuss precisely the efforts of Lakhdar Brahimi and progress he is making, his attempts to help the Iraqis form a government.

Q: And what are you going to tell him? What are you going to say about how close he is? Are we expecting some proposal by the end of the week?

SG: Well, we had indicated that our target date was the end of May. Obviously we are still working towards that date, and I hope we will be able to meet that target.

Q: What was your reaction to the prospective UN role in Iraq, post June 30th, as outlined in the Resolution presented yesterday? Is that a UN role that you see as realistic, that could be fulfilled?

SG: I think the Resolution also indicated that “circumstances permitting…”, and I think when you look at the Resolution very carefully they identify the priority areas that we should be working on, which we are already doing, and the other areas are “circumstances permitting”. So I think in that sense it is satisfactory.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, in terms of the Security Council, a lot of Security Council members are concerned that a lot of the most difficult and contentious issues haven't been spelled out in the Resolution, you know, the extent of Iraqi control over its armed forces. Do you think that that is something that needs to be spelled out?

SG: The draft was given to them yesterday, and this is the beginning of a process. I am sure in the discussions there will be further clarifications and possibly amendments in the draft, so we should really see this as the beginning of a process.

Q: Did the President's speech clear up confusion for you or for the Council, do you believe? Did it clear up, perhaps, the role in Iraq for the UN and for others? Did his speech help?

SG: I think some of the issues in the speech are the same issues we are discussing here, and the elements which are covered in the Resolution, so I think in that sense I don't think, any other Council member was surprised by it, but we will continue the discussions.

Q: Sir, Tony Blair says that if the future Iraqi government asked the US and British forces to leave, then they would leave. Do you think that the new government in Iraq will be in a position at any time down the road to actually make that request?

SG: It depends on which new government you are talking about. Whether the government to be formed on 30 June or the government of January 2005.

Q: January 2005.

SG: I think it will be a judgment for that government to make. Obviously it depends very much on the situation at the time, but it is a judgment for the government at that time.

Q: How is Mr. Brahimi's mood?

SG: He's in good form.