A government spokesman said Germany, which opposed the war on Iraq, wanted the United Nations to play a "central role" in its post-war reconstruction.

An assurance by US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair that it would have a "vital role" was "a positive sign," the government spokesman told reporters.

He said it was still not clear how much reconstruction there would have to be in terms of Iraq's economy, government and infrastructure.

But he insisted: "The United Nations must be accorded a central role in the process because only it possess the authority, the legitimacy and the trust in the process of establishing a democratic state in Iraq."

Asked about the possibility of establishing a multinational security force in Iraq, similar to that in Afghanistan, he said it was too early to consider that question.

Britain, which has been the United States' closest ally in attacking Iraq, is thought to be pressing Washington to lend more international credibility to the post-war reconstruction by giving the UN a prime responsibility.

British Defence Minister Geoff Hoon, who met here late Tuesday with German opposite number Peter Struck, pointed to the cooperation in Afghanistan as "an excellent example" of how the international community could work together.

France is particularly keen on a central UN role, not just in humanitarian relief work but also in the formation of a new Iraqi government.

The government spokesman said German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Jacques Chirac would meet Friday at a trilateral summit in Saint Petersburg to discuss the post-war situation, including the role of the United Nations.

SPACE.WIRE