Iraq conference, useful step towards settlement ; Russia

Moscow, Mar 12 (UNI) Russia today said an international conference on Iraq, held in Baghdad on March 10, was a useful step towards a comprehensive settlement in the country.

''Moscow considers the Baghdad meeting as a useful step on the way to developing interaction between all international community members interested in stabilising the situation in Iraq,'' official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement.

''Russia has always spoken for the necessity to closely coordinate international efforts in the settlement of the Iraqi situation,'' Mr Kamynin said.

He noted the Iraqis themselves must play the ''decisive role'' to ensure the quickest possible normalisation in the country, adding it should be a true intra-Iraqi dialogue aimed at reaching national accord and reconciliation.

The Iraqi government initiated the international conference on Iraq, in an effort to stop armed clashes and confessional war in the country, which threatens to spill over into neighbouring countries.

The United States, Britain, Syria and Iran participated in the meeting.

The Iraqi government also invited five permanent members of the UN Security Council, neighbouring countries and interested regional organisations to the conference.

Originally, the meeting was planned as a foreign ministerial conference, but it was later decided to hold it at a lower level for security reasons.

UNI