WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (AFP) - Washington expects this week's international conference on Iraq to send a strong and unified message of support for the country, according to Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is to attend the meeting.
Iran is also on the agenda for Washington, which accuses Tehran of interfering in Iraq and of attempting to acquire nuclear weapons.
And Powell expects to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, notably with representatives of the diplomatic "quartet" -- the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.
Powell is due to arrive late Monday at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, after stopping in Israel, where he is to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to promote a smooth transition of power following the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Powell was traveling to the Middle East on Sunday from Chile, where he attended an Asia-Pacific summit. He heads back to Washington Tuesday.
Powell announced his resignation as the top US diplomat last week. President George W. Bush has announced his choice to replace Powell, national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, whose confirmation must be approved by the Senate.
With the war in Iraq dragging on, sowing deep divisions, Powell said he expects the conference to convey a strong and unified message of support for Iraqis as they prepare for elections and rebuild their country.
"I think you will see a strong message coming out of the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting that says Iraq's neighbors and the other parties represented there in the industrial world have come together to lend their support to the Iraqi people as they deal with this insurgency and as they prepare for their elections, and as they go about the process of rebuilding their lives, rebuilding their country," Powell said.
"We will give a message of unity in that effort," he told reporters in Chile.
And he insisted on "the absolute need for non-interference from anyone else in the region" -- a message addressed to Syria and especially Iran, referring to suspected destabilization efforts and infiltration by foreign combatants.
"The Syrians have been a little more cooperative" on that issue, Powell said. "The Iranians, it's a little less clear to me what may be moving across the border."
Powell and his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharazi will both be present at plenary meetings, a circumstance that has already occurred during international meetings on Afghanistan. Washington and Tehran do not have diplomatic relations.
Powell has indicated that no bilateral encounter is planned, but he did not rule out such a meeting, which would be a first.
In Tehran Sunday, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said that a direct meeting with Powell in Egypt would be pointless as he is about to step down from his post.
Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Iran would take part in the conference "with force" to protest US methods in Iraq and insist on a withdrawal of US forces.
Washington has accused Tehran of trying to acquire nuclear weapons. In Chile Saturday, Bush sharply warned Iran over reports that it has accelerated production of uranium material that could be used to make nuclear weapons.
"This is a very serious matter, the world knows it's a serious matter, and we're working together to solve this matter," he said on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Iran said Sunday it remains committed to suspending its sensitive uranium enrichment activities as of Monday and that alarm over its ongoing nuclear activities is merely "propaganda".
Powell last week said that Washington had information suggesting that Iran is seeking to adapt its missiles to carry nuclear warheads.
But the Washington Post later reported that Powell's information had been based on a single source of dubious credibility, and said that the disclosure had angered many in Washington intelligence community.
The conference at Sharm el-Sheikh will gather Iraq, its neighbors (Syria, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey); the industrialized nations of the G-8; and China.
Also represented will be the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the Arab "troika" on Iraq -- Tunisia, Bahrain and Algeria. Egypt will host and participate in the meeting.
11/21/2004 09:29 GMT - AFP