Iraq's neighbours and the United States have come together in a new UN grouping some delegates hope will develop into an international conference on Iraq's future.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan formed the group of 17 countries as an advisory body that met for the first time yesterday and several nations hoped it would be able to take meaningful action in the future, participants said.
The 17 nations at the meeting included Iraq's six neighbours - Syria, Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey as well as Egypt. Security Council members in the group are the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany, Chile, Angola, Pakistan and Spain.
France, Russia and Germany have urged an international conference on Iraq but the United States so far is cool to the idea.
Mr Annan told the 17 ambassadors he would present the Security Council with a report within a week on a role the United Nations could play in Iraq, the diplomats reported.
He also said he would name an interim chief representativefor Iraq shortly and a new special representative early in the new year to replace Mr Sergio Vieira de Mello, killed in the attack against UN headquarters in Baghdad on August 19th that cost 22 lives.