European Union president Greece urged Iraq and the international community today to use a "window of opportunity" for Baghdad to disarm peacefully and avoid war.
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou made the call after EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, discussed on a report by chief UN weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix.
The report faulted Iraq for failing to co-operate actively with his mission to verify the elimination of its suspected weapons of mass destruction.
"I want to be very clear that it wouldn't be helpful for us to make an arbitrary judgment on the deadline," Mr Papandreou told a news conference.
"We can see the direction in which we have to move as an international community and Iraq has to move itself, if we are to get disarmament through inspection, which is our goal - a peaceful resolution of this issue.
"So I would say we have a window of opportunity, let's use it," he said.
Mr Papandreou said ministers discussed steps the 15-nation EU might take to secure full implementation of the UN disarmament resolution but gave no details.