Jiang agreed that the crisis must be solved by political and diplomatic means within the framework of the UN Security Council

BEIJING, January 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - China Sunday, January 26,  reinforced its opposition to a war in Iraq in a telephone conversation between President Jiang Zemin and French leader Jacques Chirac, as German Foreign Minister on Sunday urged the United Nations to get into the "driver's seat" to secure a peaceful solution to the U.S. standoff with Iraq and avert a war.

Jiang and Chirac agreed that the crisis must be solved by political and diplomatic means and within the framework of the United Nations Security Council, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Xinhua said Chirac informed Jiang of France's view on the issue and the two leaders exchanged ideas about the upcoming work of the Council, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

They also agreed that the two countries should enhance consultation over Iraq.

As permanent members of the Security Council China and France, along with Russia, have the power to veto resolutions and their toughened stances on Iraq throw yet more diplomatic obstacles in front of Washington determined to attack Iraq with or without UN authorization.

Both France and Germany publicly reasserted their opposition to a conflict with Iraq last week.

While Berlin flatly opposes war, Paris has pushed for giving UN disarmament inspectors more time in Iraq.

The increasingly opposition emanating from Beijing and Paris against conflict came as the United States said the current situation "cannot be allowed to continue".

In a speech to the World Economic Forum of business and economic leaders in Switzerland U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Iraq had "failed the test" with its weapons declaration and the United States would "not shrink from war".

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his view is very close to that of Paris.

Xinhua said Jiang told Chirac Sunday that China held the view that Iraq must also fully implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and that the authority of the UN body must be protected.

Their conversation came on the eve of the United Nations weapons inspectors giving their first formal compliance report to the Security Council.

Last week Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said the January 27 report by UN weapons inspectors on Iraqi disarmament should be seen as a "new beginning" and not the end of the inspection process.

China has stepped up its rhetoric in the past few days in what analysts have said is a message to Washington that it does not like the way the United States is racing towards a conflict.

On Thursday, the foreign ministry, in unusually blunt comments, said it was uneasy about the military build-up in the Gulf and that China's position on Iraq was close to that of the French government.

Take the "driver's seat":Fischer to the UN

In Amman, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Sunday urged the United Nations to get into the "driver's seat" to secure a peaceful solution to the US standoff with Iraq and avert a war.

"We think that the Security Council must be in the driver's seat by solving this crisis peacefully," Fischer told a joint news conference in Amman with Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb.

Speaking on the eve of a crucial progress report on UN weapons inspections in Iraq, Fischer and Abu Ragheb agreed that the United Nations should have the last word on U.S. threats to launch military action to disarm Baghdad.

But they also agreed that Iraq had to comply fully with Security Council Resolution 1441.

"It is crucial and the regime of Baghdad must fully comply. The instruments for the peaceful implementation to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction are the inspectors," Fischer said.

"They are doing an excellent job," he added before leaving Amman for Berlin at the end of a three-nation tour of Turkey, Egypt and Jordan where he had talks with top leaders on the Iraq crisis.

"We are looking forward to the Blix report and we hope that the crisis can be solved without military action. What we can do we will do to implement the relevant resolutions without the threat of military action," Fischer said

Abu Ragheb also hoped that the report which chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix is to deliver to the Security Council on Monday will bolster efforts to avert a war on Jordan's eastern neighbour Iraq.

Germany has promised not to vote in favour of military action at the UN Security Council, which it has joined as a rotating member.

UN inspections in Iraq must continue: Greece

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said in an interview published Sunday, that the UN weapon inspections in Iraq must continue after Monday, when the UN Security Council is to hear a key report on their progress,

"Monday is not the end of the procedures planned for by Security Council resolutions ... the efforts must continue," Papandreou told the Kathimerini newspaper.

"The Greek presidency is ready to undertake all necessary initiatives to reinforce these procedures and support the work of inspectors in Iraq, so that they give us a clear picture and reliable facts," Papandreou said.