Washington: The US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that the United Nations could play a "vital role" Iraq even as he favoured a new UN resolution on the war-ravaged country.

The UN Special Envoy Lakdhar Brahimi has "made an important statement about the political process moving forward" in Iraq and "it shows, that we wanted to receive information and guidance and suggestions from the United Nations", he said in an interview to Italian TV yesterday (Apr 15, 2004).

Powel said that he expects "we will be seeking a new UN resolution" with respect to Iraq.

"We have other UN leaders in Iraq now getting ready for the elections that will be coming at the end of the year... how we set up elections in Iraq. And so we want to cooperate fully with the UN and we want the UN to play a more expanded role, a more vital role," Powell said.

Referring to the statements made by President George W Bush on the Israeli-Arab border, during the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Powell said that any modifications to the armistice line have to be mutually agreed upon by the two parties as part of the roadmap process.

"What the President said yesterday was that he recognised the reality of changes that have taken place in the West Bank. For the first time, land is being made free of settlements in order to "get us going towards the Palestinian State that we have in mind," he added.