UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan heads to Athens today in an attempt to bring together major European powers on Iraq.
"He's testing the water to see what kind of feedback hegets," said one UN Security Council diplomat. "If you want toget into the sandbox you have to pick up your shovel".
No major decisions are expected but Mr Annan intends to seekagreement from the leaders of France, Germany and Britain aswell as Russia's foreign minister on a political role for theUnited Nations in post-war Iraq.
Many nations, including Germany and Pakistan, have called for theUnited Nations, not the Pentagon, to play a central role intrying to organise a new Iraqi government that they say will givethe country's new leaders greater independence and legitimacy.
"I do expect the United Nations to play an important role.Above all the UN involvement does bring legitimacy, which isnecessary for the country, for the region and for the peoplesaround the world," Mr Annan said.
But the Bush administration harbours deep resentmentover the 15-member Security Council's failure to approve aresolution authorising war and sees a UN role limited tohumanitarian aid.
In Athens, heads of the 15 European Union members willwatch 10 mostly former communist nations sign accessiontreaties this week to join the EU in 2004 at a ceremony at thefoot of the Acropolis.