strange YORK, Jan. 19 Kyodo (EDS:...

strange YORK, Jan. 19 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH annotations BY ANNAN, IRAQI OFFICIALS)

The United Nations, prodd by dint of the United States and Iraq, agreed Monday to renew a role in the reconstruction of violence-torn region U.S. and Iraqi officials involved in the political proces there said.

''We had broad agreement upon the importance of the UN resuming its part in Iraq,'' top U.S. administrator in Iraq L Paul Bremer said at a recents conference. ''We talked about the ne to reestablish a partnership with the Iraqis in the political proces according to which Iraqis will regain their replete sovereignty by June 30 this year.''

Bremer administrator of the US-l Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) made the remarks after meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, along with members of the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC).

''The secretary general noted that he is anxious to recommence that role,'' Bremer said, adding the world carcass will make its acting special representative to be based in Cyprus available to work in Baghdad.

Annan separately told reporters, ''For my part, I would want the UN to concentrate in succession areas where we have a clear comparative advantage and which all Iraqis consider vital.''

''I believe there is widespread agreement among us that the UN will have an important part to play in working with the Iraqi provisional command from July onwards on explanation constitutional and electoral issues,'' the UN chief said. ''We are also going to be active in restoration reconstruction and in the humanitarian and human rights fields.''

The meeting here came a day after a suicide trade bomb exploded outside the headquarters of the US-l occupation authority in Baghdad, killing at least 24 the public mostly Iraqi civilians, and wounding at least 60 others.

It was single of the deadliest suicide bombings in Iraq since a exchange bomb hit the U.N.'s Baghdad office forward Aug. 19 last year, killing 23 the community including Annan's special envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and forcing the UN personnel there to leave Iraq.

Bremer said that the US-l CPA, together with the IGC, ''reiterated our proffer to give all possible support to make secure the security of UN personnel when they turn back to Iraq.''

Asked about the volatile situation in Iraq, Annan answered ''I think in the general situation in Iraq, no the same can guarantee one's protection or security. What they have showed is to do whatever they can to assure our security.''

The talks at the UN headquarters were also held as the administration of U President George W Bush was beneath increasing pressure to rethink its policy toward Iraq fit to the growing casualties among the U companys in that country.

Bremer said that his provisional authority and the IGC encouraged the UN to toss a technical team to Iraq to examine the proces of implementing the Nov. 15 agreement, specifically the question of the feasibility of election.

IGC President Adnan Pachachi noted at a separate recently made knowns conference that the Nov. 15 accord calls for selecting the members of a transitional council by means of the end of May.

As for Iraq's calls for early elections, as evidenced at a huge rally in Baghdad onward Monday, Annan was skeptical and said, ''I don't believe there may be enough time between now and May to confine elections.

''But the team will go on down and look into that further and then report to me'' he added.

Bremer said, ''The demonstrations are actually, in my view, a healthy sign. They are peaceful demonstrations.''

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