UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon supported the move to bring Baghdad's neighbors together with the five permanent Security Council members for talks on Iraq.
Ban's spokeswoman, Michele Montas said Wednesday Ban would be sending his special representative for Iraq Ashraf Qazi to attend the meeting between Syria and Iran as well as the United States as an observer. The United States is one of the five permanent members of the council.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League will also attend the talks called by Iraq's government slated for March 10 in Baghdad.
"The secretary-general hopes that the participants in the preparatory meeting will focus on urgently needed steps to reduce violence in Iraq and help stabilize the situation in the region," Montas said. "It is in keeping with the call the United Nations has been making for a convergence of national, regional and international efforts in support of the people and Government of Iraq," she said.
