"Both of us think that, in the reconstruction phase, the United Nations must play the leading role, and of course together with the US, UK and not least the Iraqi people which is often forgotten in that discussion. They also must have a say," Persson said after talks with French President Jacques Chirac.

Beyond the situation in Iraq, the two leaders discussed the Middle East peace process and European issues, on the eve of an informal summit of European Union leaders in Athens.

When asked about US threats of possible sanctions against Syria, Persson said it was "completely out of the question that we will have one more example of the kind we have seen in Iraq."

"I think all international disputes should be resolved within the framework of international law. We must come back to the Security Council and the United Nations," he added.

Chirac's spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said the two countries had very similar positions "on the conditions under which war broke out, on the consequences of the fall of the Iraqi dictatorship and on the importance they attach to the vital role of the United Nations" in postwar Iraq.

SPACE.WIRE