International liaison committee on Iraq include neighboring states and Egypt

The Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan will preside on Monday the first meeting "of the Liaison group" on Iraq which was declared on Wednesday, with the participation of countries neighboring Iraq and the UN Security Council five- permanent members and four states which are not members in the Security Council.

The spokesman for Annan said that the liaison group includes the 6 states neighboring Iraq which are ( Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Kuwait and Turkey ) in addition to Egypt for its being an important player in the region, according to spokesman.

The other countries members in the group were chosen by the UN secretary general in consultation with the chairman of the UN security council. They are Germany, Angola, Chile and Pakistan in addition to the states of permanent membership at the UN Security Council which are the US, Russia, France, Britain and China.

France welcomed the formation of the group, considering it as a step towards "consolidating consultation among partners." The French foreign ministry stressed that the "participation of the countries neighboring Iraq is necessary because of the important role they have played in establishing stability in the region."

Annan said he will appoint by the beginning of 2004 a new official to supervise the UN operations from outside Iraq to be stationed either in Jordan or in Cyprus, to replace the Brazilian Sergio Vieira de Mello who was killed in an explosion on August 19 in Baghdad.