SG: Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I hear you have one or two questions for me.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, when you were in Washington and you received this letter, who exactly were you amongst American officials and what was the reaction you received from them immediately upon learning of the acceptance?
SG: Well, when the acceptance came I was in the car on my way to the University of Maryland to give a speech, and so I didn't see it until I got to the University, when I had it faxed to me.
Q: What was the reaction of the first American official you met with immediately after learning the news?
SG: Obviously they needed to see the letter to study it but I did indicate that Iraq has said yes to the resolution but the indication was that it had to be studied.
Q: [inaudible] reaction…?
SG: Iraq has said yes and Mr. Blix and the team are going to go in on the 18th as planned and resume actively their work.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, have you got acceptance under the terms [inaudible].
SG: First of all the resolution is mandatory and the essential thing is that they did say that the inspectors can come back and that they will deal with the resolution and the inspectors can come back. I think that is all we were looking for, the rest in the scheme of things is not that important.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, you received this acceptance 48 hours before the deadline. Do you take this as a harbinger of good things to come?
SG: Well, the inspectors will soon be on the ground and we will test things and we will find out. I don't want to make any predictions at this stage. But what is important is that they have said yes, and the inspectors will be on their way.
Q: You have a meeting with Dr. Blix tonight. What do you plan to discuss [inaudible].
SG: I'll be leaving tomorrow morning and we are just going to touch base before we both go our different directions. And of course we will discuss the letter that has been sent to the Council and Mr. Blix is making plans to go to Iraq on the 18th of November. That hasn't change.
Q: Did you bring a message back from Washington with you back for Dr. Blix this afternoon?
SG: Blix's main mandate emanates from the resolution. I didn't bring any message for him.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, instead of sending a letter that really said yes or no, Iraq sent a nine-page letter that was very harsh in tone, anti-American in places, anti-Israeli, some tough language of what it inspects of inspections. Does this concern you in terms of their future compliance?
SG: I think I've answered that question. I've read the letter too, but as I indicated, where I am concerned, they have accepted it, it is mandatory, and the inspectors are going down. And we have all demanded that they cooperate, and I expect them to cooperate and if they don't, of course the inspectors know what to do.
Q: Secretary-General have your received any response from the two sides, the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, in regards to your peace plan and what do you for see about the future of the plan?
SG: No, not directly from the Greek Cypriot leader or the Turkish Cypriot leader but there has been encouraging signals or statements coming out of Ankara and Athens and other capitals, and also in Washington this afternoon. I did tell the two leaders not to rush, that they shouldn't give me a quick answer, and to take their time and give me their reaction within a week. And so I wasn't expecting any immediate reaction from the leaders, but so far I am encouraged by their reactions.
Thank you very much.