It was with great relief that we learned, last weekend, of the agreement reached between Iraq and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, which headed off the worst-case scenario of war.
The Bloc Quebecois has always been in favour of a diplomatic solution. Circumstances have proved it right. Not only is this agreement a victory for peace, but it is the best solution for the Iraqi people, who ask for one thing, and one thing only: to be able to live in peace.
The Bloc Quebecois is particularly pleased with the outcome of this crisis, because the UN victory has given a new breath of credibility to an institution that is essential to good world order.
In conclusion, in my own name and on behalf of my colleagues in the Bloc Quebecois, I wish to congratulate the man, the humanist and the great diplomat behind this agreement, Kofi Annan.