4/ - We are convinced that the United Nations must increase its role in these measures. We also believe that the political transition process in Iraq will gain in credibility and effectiveness if a specific procedure and calendar are defined for setting up a legitimate and internationally-recognized administration in Iraq.

In sum, the text has a double merit:

- It is able to rally wide support within the Security Council,

- It constitutes a solid basis on which to move forward and mobilize the international community.

The challenges we face are huge:

- Restore full sovereignty to Iraq and undertake the reconstruction of the country while respecting its unity and territorial integrity,

- Restart the momentum for peace in the Middle East, making the best possible use of the road-map,

- More generally, create the political, economic and cultural conditions required for sustainable stability in the region.

We believe that the Iraqi people must as soon as possible be given an opportunity to decide their future and form a government enjoying broad international recognition. A year after the adoption of this resolution, the United Nations Security Council will have to comprehensively review the situation and identify further steps./.

Q. - You have just said that the draft resolution doesn't go as far as you would wish. Which of France, Germany and Russia's suggestions, requests haven't been taken into account?

THE MINISTER - We said what they are in the preliminary statement which I have just read. We are calling for a central role for the United Nations. We think that today the decisions which have been taken (...) pave the way for such a role, but everyone can clearly see that the emergency and the post-war situation today give a central role to the coalition forces. (...) The draft resolution marks very significant progress. We have done a lot of work on this text over the past few days and we think there is here a good compromise which allows us, at the same time, to take on board the urgency of the situation on the ground, the specific situation of the coalition forces and our conviction that the United Nations has to be given this role if we want to maximize our chances of success in Iraq.

WAR/LEGITIMIZATION

Q. - (...) Don't you now get the impression of having to accept the fact that you are now being forced to legitimize this war?

THE MINISTER - (...) At no point in the text is there any legitimization of the war. We want to look to the future. As I said, there is an emergency. Faced with this emergency, we are convinced of the need for the international community's unity and for us to act responsibly. This is why after the discussion we initiated to get the acceptance of the fundamental principles which we are rallying round, and the central points which we think are important in this resolution, we consider that the compromise we have reached is capable of allowing the international community genuinely to move forward on the ground with the task of rebuilding of Iraq.

DRAFT UNSCR/MIDDLE-EAST ROAD-MAP

Q. - There's been talk of a "deal" with the Americans at the Security Council so that, in return for your acceptance of the US draft resolution on Iraq, the Americans agree to put the road-map to the vote at the Security Council. Can you confirm this?

THE MINISTER - Obviously, no trade-off of that kind was considered. (...) What's certain - and this is one of the points we're going to talk about this evening, at dinner - is that the road-map, the Middle-East situation, the peace process is at the heart of our concerns. We're all anxious to relaunch this process. The road-map has been published. We now want it to be implemented (...)./.