Former Mexican foreign minister Jorge Castaneda on Monday praised the previous efforts made by the governments of Mexico and Chile in the United Nations Security Council to prevent war in Iraq, the local TV reports said.
Castaneda said the anti-war position of both countries was an expression of sovereignty and independence, showing an "outstanding moment" in the history of Latin American diplomacy.
The former minister said he believed the United Nations has more validity than ever to establish a world order that is increasingly favorable to peace.
In an interview with Television Nacional (TVN) channel, Castaneda said: "The war could always be avoided and, in this case, both countries tried to achieve the disarmament of Iraq in a multilateral, peaceful and diplomatic fashion.
"If the United States finds arms of mass destruction in the coming days, there could be a justification of this war. The arms will be there, and the world will have to resign itself to this fact.
"On the other hand, if no arms of mass destruction are found, then it will be clear that the goals of the United States were different and there was no reason for them to be shared by every country," he said.
US and British forces entered the 6th day of their fighting on Monday in Iraq.
(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2003)
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