Foreign Ministers of Several Arab States, Turkey and Iran to Discuss Ways of Iraqi Issue Peaceful Settlement

The foreign ministers of four Arab countries, as well as of Turkey and Iran, are to meet early next week in Damascus to discuss ways of peaceful settlement of the Iraqi issue.

According to diplomatic sources' data, the idea was considered Friday during the phone talks of Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara with his Lebanese, Turkish, Jordanian, Saudi and Egyptian counterparts, as well as with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.

The sources indicate that the Egyptian, Saudi, Jordanian, Syrian, Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers will take part in the meeting in the Syrian capital. The idea of the meeting is to be discussed Saturday in Tehran, where al-Shara has headed for on a visit. On the eve of the visit he stressed the importance of solid relations between Damascus and Tehran especially in this hard time; he also noted that both countries had a common position rejecting the American war and supporting resolution 1441.

Diplomatic sources in the Syrian capital also emphasize that Damascus would host discussions of how to reach a peaceful implementation of resolution 1441 and the elimination of consequences of the American war for Iraq and the whole region. At the same time the sources indicate that the coming Damascus summit will "in no way consider a change of regime in Iraq, as the summit participants don't have the right to do so."