Iraq and the United Nations moved a bit closer on Friday toward ending their disputes but Baghdad gave no definitive reply on whether it would allow U.N. arms inspectors back into the country. Calling his talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri positive, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he hoped Baghdad would make a decision on the inspectors at the next round of meetings, expected within a month "because I don't want to drag this thing out." (Read photo caption)

But he said the three days of talks between United Nations and Iraqi officials, the second round this year, were significant because Iraq for the first time focused on weapons questions, bringing along several top level disarmament experts in its 16-member delegation.

The inspectors first went into Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War, spending seven years checking into weapons of mass destruction. They left shortly before the United States and Britain bombed Iraq in December 1998 to punish Baghdad for not cooperating with inspectors.

Iraqi officials also told Annan they were prepared to return Kuwait's national archives, seized by Iraqi troops when they invaded and occupied the country in August 1990.

IRAQ REGIME CHANGE?

But Annan said the Iraqi delegation questioned how the return of the inspectors meshed with U.S. threats to topple President Saddam Hussein and the sporadic U.S.-British bombing in their unilaterally declared no-flight zones over Iraq.

"The issue of the no-fly zones is of concern to them and also the discussions about regime change and the impact this is likely to have," Annan said.

"If the inspectors were to go in, would it make any difference -- these are issues on their mind," Annan said. But he said only individual Security Council members could give such answers.

Quick action by the council, even if Iraq cooperates, is difficult. A resolution outlining steps toward the suspension of sanctions omits details on what embargoes would be lifted because of disagreement among council members.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri (C) greets United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix (L) as Secretary General Kofi Annan (R) looks on before their meeting at the United Nations in New York on May 1, 2002. Iraq and the U.N. ended three days of talks but there was no word of a breakthrough on the return of arms inspectors to Baghdad. (Peter Morgan/Reuters)