CHILE: U.S. ENVOY MEETS CHILEAN PRESIDENT FOR TALKS ON IRAQ, ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN SANTIAGO.
Record ID:
645751
CHILE: U.S. ENVOY MEETS CHILEAN PRESIDENT FOR TALKS ON IRAQ, ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN SANTIAGO.
- Title: CHILE: U.S. ENVOY MEETS CHILEAN PRESIDENT FOR TALKS ON IRAQ, ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN SANTIAGO.
- Date: 1st March 2003
- Summary: (U7) SANTIAGO, CHILE (FEBRUARY 28, 2003) (REUTERS) GV/MV: VARIOUS OF ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING THROUGH THE STREETS OF SANTIAGO (5 SHOTS) GV/MV: VARIOUS OF ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATORS PROTESTING IN FROM OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS PALACE; GUARDS AT PALACE (2 SHOTS) GV/MV: ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATORS SHOUTING INSULTS TO REICH'S COMMITTEE AND BEING REPRIMANDED BY POLICE (2 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 16th March 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SANTIAGO, CHILE
- Country: Chile
- Topics: General,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAABXL758Z58IVG9DEZH0EZA6UZ
- Story Text: United States' special envoy to Latin America Otto Reich has met with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos to discuss the South American nation's views against a pending United Nations resolution that will open the door to war in Iraq.
United States special envoy to Latin America Otto Reich (AH-toh riek) met with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos (ree-CAR-doh LAH-gohs) Friday (February 28) to persuade the South American country to back a United Nations resolution paving the way for war with Iraq.
To pass the resolution, there must be support from nine of the 15 UN Security Council members and no veto from any of its five permanent member: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
However, Reich said his visit was not intended to put pressure on Chile.
"It's not pressure. It's just an informative meeting.
We are friends with Chile. Chile is a trading associate, important to the U.S. But more than this, it is now a member of the Security Council and the opinion of Chile is important and we are not here to put pressure on Chile. I'm not going to say much about the meeting, but it was very cordial. And for our part, there is no reason to put pressure on anyone,"
he said.
Chile and Mexico, the only two Latin American countries in the Security Council, have strong commercial ties with the U.S., but have insisted on disarming Iraq peacefully.
However, neither country has openly said that it will veto the resolution.
A small group of protesters on Friday gathered outside Chile's Presidential Palace La Moneda (moh-NAE-dah), shouting against Reich and a potential war.
Lagos declined to talk extensively about his meeting with Reich, but he did express concern about some of the Security Council's larger member abstaining from the vote.
"We want everyone [referring to the five permanent members of the Security Council] to make an opinion [on the subject of Iraq]. The large countries [the five permanent members of the Security Council], some of them, are going to abstain - they are not going to veto and then, there we are [the non-permanent members of the Security Council] are going to be left to make the decision. When the case arrives, we will make the decision - and this is what I told to the representative of the President of the U.S. - in accord with what we think will be best for the world," he said.
A war with Iraq is largely unpopular in Chile.
Protesters marched down the streets in front of the Palace of the Foreign Ministry, decrying military action and calling for peace.
The Security Council will vote on the U.S./Britain-backed resolution in mid-March. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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