Security Council to hold private meeting with Iraqi officials on Monday - President

The President of the United Nations Security Council today said it will hold a private meeting on Monday with this month's head of Iraq's Governing Council to hear thoughts on the current situation and plans for the country's future.

Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz of Chile, which holds the Council's rotating Presidency for January, told reporters after closed-door talks that a decision was made to invite Adnan Pachachi, President of the Governing Council, to a private meeting at 5 p.m. on 19 January.

The Security Council's invitation to Mr. Pachachi comes after it had received a letter from the Iraqi Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation, Dr. Mehdi al-Hafidh, requesting a meeting of the Security Council with Mr. al-Hafidh, according to Ambassador Muñoz.

The Council President added that he had spoken to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who would be available for the private session. "At that time we'll have a discussion on the future of Iraq and the present situation," he said. "We'll be happy to listen to them."

Mr. Annan is scheduled to hold a meeting earlier that same day with Mr. Pachachi and other Iraqi officials, along with representatives of the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), on the future role of the United Nations in Iraq.

Asked today if CPA officials will take part in the Security Council's meeting, Ambassador Muñoz said it was "not contemplated."

"Our decision is to invite Mr. Pachachi to hold a meeting with him," he said. "Whether the CPA will be present is not a matter that we discussed today."

As for what he expected from the Council's meeting, Ambassador Muñoz said, "It would be nice to hear [Mr. Pachachi's] assessment of how things are going in Iraq, how they are viewing the political process, what role they perceive the United Nations can play [and] what role the Security Council can play in the future of Iraq."

Video of remarks to reporters