South Africa and Germany on Monday agreed the United States should refrain from taking any military action against Iraq.
President Thabo Mbeki and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder shared thoughts on the matter during a meeting on the sidelines of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad said Mbeki told Schroder the United States should be discouraged from attacking Iraq.
”The two leaders agreed they were not comfortable with any military action being taken against Iraq,” Pahad told reporters.
Speculation has recently been mounting that the US wants to broaden its war on terror to Iraq.
US President George Bush has warned his Iraqi counterpart Saddam Hussein of unspecified consequences if he does not allow United Nations inspectors into the country to verify he has dismantled chemical and biological weapons.
Iraq claims it has complied with UN resolutions in this regard. The restrictions were imposed following Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait that sparked the 1991 Gulf War.
Pahad on Monday said Mbeki and Schroder both felt that Iraq should respect the UN’s resolutions.
”But both agreed that military action will not assist at this point.”
Former South African president Nelson Mandela earlier in the day also came out against a US military attack on Iraq.
Pahad said Schroder and Mbeki also discussed Germany’s experience in the field of renewable energy such as solar and wind power. The German leader said his country intended expanding its co-operation with Africa in this regard.
The issue of renewable energy was at the time of their meeting the only outstanding point in a conference document meant to be adopted by world leaders attending the summit.
”Both leaders were confident that an agreement would be reached on energy,” Pahad said.
He said Schroder lauded South Africa for agreeing to host the Summit, and said he was impressed by the way the event had been organised.
Pahad said Mbeki also met Benin’s President Mamadou Tandja on Monday.
Benin last month hosted a ministerial meeting of the 49 least developed states, at which it officially assumed the presidency of the grouping of countries.
Mbeki was to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair late in the afternoon, Pahad said. – Sapa