Russian President Vladimir Putin told British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair by telephone todaythat UN weapons inspectors should be allowed to continue their work in Iraq.
"Putin . . . stressed the need for international inspectors to continue their work in Iraq in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution," a Kremlin spokesman said.
In a 25-minute conversation, Mr Putin and Mr Blair "agreed on theneed for Iraq to comply with UN obligations, including fullco-operation with the UN weapons inspectors," Mr Blair's spokesmansaid.
The two leaders' conversation came just hours ahead of a keyreport by inspectors after two months of searching Iraq forsigns of chemical, nuclear or biological weapons.
Russia has stressed diplomatic efforts should be pursued tofully enforce a UN Security Council resolution, passed inNovember and providing for arms inspectors to hunt for weapons of mass destruction.
In a separate telephone conversation today, RussianForeign Minister Mr Igor Ivanov and German counterpart Mr Joschka Fischer discussed Iraq after Mr Putin and German Chancellor Mr Gerhard Schroeder confirmed the need for a political solution to the crisis last Friday.