WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- President George Bush and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Tuesday discussed the U.N. role in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein.
Bush and Annan met in the White House and spoke briefly during an Oval Office photo opportunity.
"I believe that the stability of Iraq is in everyone's interest," Annan said. "The U.N. does have a role to play."
Annan has ordered a U.N. team to Baghdad to work with the Iraqis to find a way to hand over sovereignty. He said hitting a handover target date of June 13 depended on the mechanism for establishing a local government.
"We are going to go there to help the Iraqis," Annan said. "To help them establish a government that is Iraqi, a government that will work with them to assure their future in terms of political and economic destiny."
Bush ran down a list of issues -- including Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Africa -- covered during the meeting and said much of the focus was on Iraq. He added, "I'm upbeat and optimistic about the future of the world."
