May 28, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 25,1424

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MOSCOW, May 27: Moscow supports the creation of a “multi-polar” world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, in a swipe at the US decision to sidestep the United Nations to launch the war on Iraq.

“The new world order must be multi-polar,” Putin said following talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao in the Kremlin.

“It must respect the interests of all and be built on a clear understanding of international rights,” Mr Putin said.

The Putin-Hu summit came less than a week before the Russian leader meets US President George W. Bush in Saint Petersburg for the first time since the Iraq war. China and Russia, both permanent UN Security Council members, opposed the US-led campaign.

Hu for his part, while making no direct reference to the United States, said his country was working hard to build a lasting alliance with Russia.

“The new leadership (in China) attaches great importance to the development of Russian-Chinese relations,” said Hu, making his first foreign trip since being elected as Chinese president in March.—AFP