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The message said, in part:

“I would like to thank members of Norwegian Greenpeace for supporting Russia in its position on the Iraqi problem.

“Nowadays when there is war in Iraq, when there are human loses and the whole region is under the threat of wide-scale humanitarian and ecological disaster, we insist on returning to peaceful means of solving this problem, based on the UN Security Council resolution, taking into account legitimate interests of the Iraqi people, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.”

On February 14, 2003 President Putin received the following message from Truls Gulowsen, Norwegian Greenpeace climate campaigner.

The message said, in part:

“Dear Mr Putin,

“We would like to thank you for being one of the first leaders who made courageous steps towards avoiding the illegal war in Iraq. Your joint declaration, published by Jacques Chirac in Paris, is a welcome sign. You, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, are ready to oppose the US and the UK plans to make a preemptive strike on Iraq, which is illegal and violates UN regulations.

“Senseless and illegal war in Iraq will cause enormous human loses and will affect the environment. The elimination of weapons of mass destruction is a dignified aim, but this aim should be reached by strengthening and supporting the international legal platform of disarmament and not by destroying it as the US authorities are doing. Being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, you have the right and responsibility to stop the US war against Iraq and hinder the US from reaching its two goals: to continue the destruction of the existing international institutions and gain control over the strategic region and oil deposits of Iraq.”