Ivanov, Annan discuss Mideast and Iraq

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who is attending a session of the Group of Four Intermediaries in the Mideastern Settlement, has been meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

According to a source in the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the discussion centered on Mideastern settlement and the situation around Iraq.

The sides stressed that the adoption of the Road Map Plan by Israel and the Palestinian National Administration opened a path towards peace in the Mideast, and that the world community must do everything possible to see to that this goal is achieved.

Touching on Iraq, the sides stressed the importance of a weighty independent role of the UN in the country's post-conflict settlement in the framework of the UN Security Council Resolution No. 1483.

Annan also praised Russia's readiness to continue contributing to the effort to enhance UN's authority and practical ability.