Iraq's foreign minister says U.S. and British envoys are expected to join officials from Iraq's neighbors at a meeting to discuss ways to help stem violence in Iraq.
Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters news agency that the government is expected to announce Tuesday a meeting in Baghdad in mid-March.
He said the meeting would bring together Western and regional powers, including Syria and Iran, along with envoys from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
However, it was not clear if the Baghdad meeting will signal a direct U.S. diplomatic engagement with Iran and Syria.
Critics of the Iraq war have been urging the Bush administration to begin a dialogue with Iran and Syria to help stabilize Iraq
The Bush administration has not ruled out a regional conference on Iraq, but has indicated that Iraq will have to initiate it.
Recently, U.S. military officials in Iraq have presented evidence of what they say are Iranian manufactured weapons being smuggled into Iraq.
And, U.S. officials also accuse Syria of allowing foreign fighters to cross its long and porous border with iraq to join those fighting the Iraqi government.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
