The United Nations Security Council extended the humanitarian programme for Iraq for six months and agreed to review within 30 days the list of items for the import of which Baghdad would need its approval.
After more than a week's haggling and negotiations, the Council unanimously adopted the compromise resolution hours before a nine-day extension to the programme was to expire.
The United States had earlier insisted that the programme be extended for 90 days. But that was not acceptable to other members. The 90-day period would have ended in early March which analysts said and other Council members feared might coincide with possible American action against Iraq.
In that case, the US could have held up the extension till after the war. Earlier, Washington proposed a two-week extension to allow it to add some items to the more than 400-page list of thousands of items for the import of which Iraq needs the permission of the Council.
Russia backed by other members of the Council circulated an amendment to the American proposal, which would have extended the programme automatically after two weeks. In the negotiations that followed, Washington, faced with opposition from all other members to its proposal, agreed to the six-month extension after Russia agreed to review the list within next 30 days.
Moscow had spearheaded the opposition to the American proposal.
Reports have suggested that US wants to add some 50 items, which include antidotes to chemical and biological agents and devices, which could be used for jamming its "smart weapons".
Russian United Nations Ambassador Sergey Lavrov described the adoption of resolution as victory for the Security Council and common sense. "I would say it is victory for Iraqi people," he said.
Earlier, Secretary General Kofi Annan had reminded the Council that the programme is meant for common Iraqi people.
American Ambassador John Negroponte told reporters that the US would swiftly move to present the additions to the list so that Iraq does not take advantage of loopholes to import materials and items, which would strengthen its capabilities for producing conventional arms and weapons of mass destruction.