International crises should be solved within UN framework

Crises similar to the recent Iraqi one should be solved within the UN framework, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference in the Kremlin Friday.

"I am convinced that such problems can be solved only there, provided the interested sides have patience and act concertedly on the international law basis," the Russian President stressed.

According to him, the situation with Iraq was "a serious test for the Russo-American relations." "But we have come out with minimum losses," the president said. "I believe we achieved a compromise decision within the UN Security Council framework." "I have discussed this problem in detail with the US president, and the situation around Iran, North Korea and other 'hotspots' likewise," President Putin pointed out. He stressed that the UN and its Security Council are a "universal mechanism" to solve such complicated issues.