An Arab-European delegation may be sent to Baghdad to try and convince Saddam Hussein to co-operate with the UN so a war can be avoided, Greek Foreign Minister Mr George Papandreou said today.
Arab leaders, who fear a US led war on Iraq could lead to regional instability, have said they want a final chance to avert war if US President Mr George W. Bush decides to use force.
Efforts until now apparently have yielded little, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said it is not clear whether Saddam comprehends the urgency of accepting Arabs' advice he fully co-operate.
At the end of an EU-backed mission that also took Mr Papandreou to Syria and Jordan, the Greek foreign minister said: "The mood in Europe is also for a last effort".
Mr Papandreou, whose country holds the current EU presidency, said: "The Arab world is ready to play an instrumental role" in persuading Saddam to co-operate and is willing to send envoys to Iraq.
He said leaders he spoke with on his tour "discussed their fear of what war would mean in the region, but they are also ready to mobilise the Arab world for a last attempt" to avert a conflict.
AP