Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov discussed the Iraqi issue through telephone with his US and French counterparts on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on November 30.

Ivanov's conversations with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine focused on " the (planned) settlement of the situation with Iraq in light of preparations for a resolution to that effect in the UN Security Council," the ministry said in a press release.

Ivanov and Albright expressed their "interest in the continuation of joint work in the UN Security Council with the aim of coming up with mutually acceptable decisions on Iraq."

Ivanov told Vedrine that "the need was stressed for joint efforts to solve the Iraqi problem on the basis of the restoration of cooperation between Baghdad and the United Nations."

Ivanov and Vedrine also called for "the earliest possible suspension of economic sanctions against Iraq."

The telephone talks happened one day before the arrival in Moscow of Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz for a three-day visit.

Aziz, who arrived here Tuesday afternoon, is expected to hold talks with Ivanov and meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the Interfax news agency reported.

He will also discuss oil and gas cooperation with Russian Minister of Fuel and Energy Viktor Kalyuzhny, who visited Baghdad last September.