UNITED NATIONS, Sept 10: Seeking to further define the role of the United Nations in Iraq and accelerate the early restoration of Iraqi national sovereignty, Secretary-General Kofi Annan will meet with the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council in Geneva on Saturday, a UN spokesman said here on Tuesday.

The meeting with the ministers of China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States will review the current situation, consider options for the future, including security, the political transition and economic recovery in Iraq, and examine the implications for the role of the UN, the spokesman said in a statement.

“The secretary-general hopes that the meeting will enable the permanent members to identify important points of convergence with the aim of ultimately allowing the full council to arrive at a consensus that will accelerate the return to stability and the early restoration of Iraqi national sovereignty,” the statement added.

In a bid to solicit the help of the international community Washington has circulated a draft resolution giving a bigger role to the United Nations.

A new UN resolution could add perhaps an additional 30,000 troops from Western Europe. Turkey, Pakistan and India might provide peacekeepers, but would probably expect loans and other concessions in return.