Moscow: Favouring a central role for the United Nations in rebuilding post-war Iraq, Russia and China on May 27 called for joint efforts to minimise the damage incurred to international relations by the US-led invasion.

In a joint declaration signed on May 27 by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao, the two nations underscored the need for co-ordinated efforts to "minimise the damage" caused to international relations by Iraq war.

"The optimum path to achieve this goal is to strengthen the role of multilateral mechanisms, first of all of the UN, in resolving common problems of the world community, strengthening of international anti-terror co-operation, co-ordinated struggle against the new threats and challenges on the basis of international law," the Sino-Russian Moscow Declaration said.

Russia and China, who have major stake in Iraq's economy also called for keeping the "legitimate rights and interests of neighbouring and other interested nations in post-war dispensation".

Putin, speaking at a joint press conference with the visiting Chinese leader Hu after their Kremlin summit, said the people of Iraq should have the guarantees of their sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to express their free will and control the country's natural wealth.

After their first summit since the change of top political leadership in China in mid-March, Putin and Hu reaffirmed Moscow and Beijing's commitment to move towards a multipolar, just and democratic world order based on the generally accepted principles of the international law.

"The world order must be based on taking into account interests of all the players of international relations and must be built on the foundation of comprehensive, vivid and easily implementable international rules," the leaders said.

Putin and Hu also asserted that a peaceful settlement of the nuclear standoff between US and North Korea must be achieved and urged Pyongyang to maintain a nuclear-free status.

"Any scenarios of forceful pressure or use of force for solving the existing problems are unacceptable," the two leaders said.

Earlier, Putin said, "Relations between Russia and China have reached their highest level ever." Hu arrived in the Russian capital on May 26 and met with Putin at the leader's Novo Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow.

According to senior Kremlin aide Sergei Prikhodko, during their private dinner the two leaders "struck a cordial note" and have established full personal rapport.

Hu is to attend the summit of Shanghai Co-operation Organisation in Moscow on May 28 before leaving for St Petersburg to join a galaxy of world leaders, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and US President George W Bush, converging in the Russian President's hometown for the gala celebrations of 300th anniversary of Russia's imperial capital.

PTI