MOSCOW - It would be premature under present conditions for foreign forces to leave Iraq, Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said on Wednesday, in a shift away from his country's previous stance in favour of a withdrawal.
"We are taking account of the Iraqi government's point of view," he said in a statement, referring to that government's call earlier in the day for the United Nations to extend the stay of the troops.
"It is clear that in present circumstances, it would be premature to talk about a withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq," the statement said.
He added that Russia had noted the demand from the Iraqi government -- put into place following elections held on January 30 -- for the US-led foreign troops to stay.
"It is important to respect precisely the timetable for the political process in Iraq laid down by Resolution 1546" of the United Nations Security Council, the statement said.
In Baghdad, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said earlier that the government would ask the UN Security Council next week to extend the stay of the US-led forces in his country.
"We are writing to the Security Council on that subject," he told AFP, adding: "I'll be making the request in person" at a meeting at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday.
Under the terms of UN resolution 1546, adopted on June 8, 2004, the Security Council said the troop mandate could be reexamined either 12 months after the resolution's adoption, or if the Iraqi government requested it.
"Respect for the timetable, in our view, will make it possible to fully restore Iraq's sovereignty and to settle the issue of the foreign troops," the Russian statement said.
Russia was one of the main countries which opposed the invasion of oil-rich Iraq, carried out in March 2003 by US-led forces. The invading force did not at the time have any mandate from the United Nations.
05/25/2005 16:08 GMT