On Board Prime Minister's special aircraft: Observing that role of the UN has been called into question, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on September 16 said the coming UN General Assembly (UNGA) will be "very important" in view of developments in Iraq.

"There are a number of issues of international concerns facing the world and particularly in our region. The role and the structure of the UN has itself been called into question," Vajpayee told reporters accompanying him on a fortnight-long foreign tour that will take him to the UN General Assembly in New York.

Terming the coming UNGA session from September 23 as "very important", he said it would decide whether the world body would continue to function in this staggering way".

"Many questions have arisen about the functioning of the world body in view of the developments in Iraq," he said.

Before emplaning for Ankara, Vajpayee told reporters in Delhi that to what extent the international community can maintain world peace and carry everybody along will be discussed.

The Prime Minister was non-committal on the issue of sending Indian troops to Iraq. "Was it open?" shot back Vajpayee when asked if India has kept its option open on the subject.

"The UN is going to meet. If they take a decision, we will also take a decision," he said.

PTI