Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko on Tuesday reiterated Russia's opposition to any military operation against Iraq.
"It is our firm belief that the groundless use of force againstIraq would have disastrous consequences for the entire Middle Eastregion," Yakovenko said in a statement.
He made the comments a day after U.S. President George W. Bush vowed to "use all the tools at our disposal" to bring down Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, renewing speculation that the US is preparing for an armed attack.
But the spokesman said on the same time that Russia had no specific information on reported U.S. plans to oust Hussein.
"We do not get any concrete information on any secret plans of the U.S. leadership to remove Iraqi President Hussein from power, and we are not holding any negotiations on that subject," he said.
In response to an U.S. State Department gathering scheduled Tuesday of groups seeking to overthrow Saddam, Yakovenko said Moscow did not maintain contacts with Iraqi opposition groups and believed that negotiations with the current leadership are the only way to solve the crisis there.
"We believe that there must be a dialogue with Iraq's lawful leadership, which officially represents that country," he said.
Russia has urged a return of international weapons inspectors to Iraq, but also supported Baghdad's push for lifting U.N. economic sanctions, which were imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.
(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2002)
