MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) - Russia's Federation
Council has urged parliaments around the world to do
everything possible to put an early end to the war in Iraq and
settle the crisis within the UN.
"Tensions are growing in the Middle East.
The conflict is threatening to spill beyond Iraq. The use of
force has inflicted serious damage on the generally recognized
principles and norms of international law and on the entire
system of international security," says a statement
unanimously approved by the upper house on Wednesday.
The senators believe that the military
operation is killing more and more civilians daily, destroying
Iraq's economic and social infrastructure and damaging the
natural environment.
They are also concerned that the unity of
an international coalition, which is expected to resist the
main challenges of civilization (terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction), has also been
affected.
The senators argued that the Iraq crisis
and its consequences "pose a serious threat to Russia's
national security and its interests."
The Federation Council supported the
Russian leadership's carefully weighed-out and consistent
policy, which is aimed at settling the Iraq crisis politically
and diplomatically and baesd on the UN Security Council's
resolutions.
It urged President Vladimir Putin to set
up a strategic group with representatives of the presidential
staff, Security Council, both houses of parliament,
ministries, agencies and representatives of the academic and
business community to work out measures to ensure Russia's
interests in the Middle East. [RU EUROPE EEU EMRG LEG POL US
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