UNITED NATIONS, Jan 20: Senior officials from the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) on Monday welcomed the involvement of the United Nations in the transitional period ahead , following talks here with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

"I think we're all in agreement on the importance of the UN resuming its role in Iraq," Paul Bremer, the CPA administrator, said at a press conference about Monday's meeting at UN headquarters.

"The Governing Council and the CPA hope the UN will return to play a role in Iraq, and we hope that happens soon," Mr Bremer added, voicing appreciation to Mr Annan for convening the meeting.

Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom echoed this view. "We too are very pleased as CPA to be back in direct dialogue with the United Nations, whom we have missed very much since the tragic events of August," he said, referring to a bomb attack in Baghdad, which killed 22 staffers, including top UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, and precipitated the UN's withdrawal from the country.

"We in the CPA want the UN role to be a very full and independent one in the transitional period," he added. "The United Nations can play an impartial, objective overseeing role in the whole transitional process, through 2005, including two sets of elections during that year."

In a separate press conference beforehand, Governing Council President Adnan Pachachi welcomed the UN's involvement in political as well as economic and humanitarian activities in Iraq.

"We urged the Secretary-General to appoint a special representative and to have a team in Iraq as soon as possible - that is in addition to the team that we hope would be sent to investigate the possibility and the feasibility of elections for the transitional legislative council."

"It is our hope that the United Nations can play an active role - and soon," he said. "This has been our hope all along."

"I am optimistic," he added. "I think this will be done." Responding to questions, Governing Council member Abdel Aziz al Hakim said Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who has called for direct elections, would like a technical committee to examine the holding of elections in Iraq.