"We expressed the following coinciding points of view: military operations must end as quickly as possible with the minimum number of human victims," Peru's Foreign Minister Alan Vagnar told journalists after the meeting.

Russia has been one of the staunchest opponents of the US-led war in Iraq, and helped lead efforts in the UN Security Council to resolve the crisis through diplomacy.

Peru and Brazil have also come out in opposition to the military offensive to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, while the small Central American nation of Costa Rica is listed as a member of the US-led "coalition of the willing," although like most other members of that group it is not taking part in the fighting.

"Russia and the countries of Latin America support reinforcing the role of the United Nations, the principles of international rights on whose basis all contentious questions must be solved, including acute international conflicts," Ivanov said.

Ivanov has called for reforming the United Nations since efforts to reach a consensus on action in Iraq failed in early March.

He has proposed increasing the the number of permanent members on the UN Security Council from five to 10 to include countries from Africa, Asia and other regions on the permanent council.

"Russia and the troika of the Rio Group are in favor of reforming the United Nations and its Security Council to increase its efficiency in the interest of reinforcing international security and the struggle against new challenges, such as international terrorism and organized crime," Vagner said.

The three foreign ministers from the Rio Group, which comprises 19 countries in Latin America and the Carribean, also met Russian President Vladimir Putin.

SPACE.WIRE