ISLAMABAD, March 7: The diplomacy on Iraq picked up steam at the Foreign Office on Friday with ambassadors of the key UN Security Council member countries calling on foreign secretary Riaz Khokhar to seek Pakistan’s support to peacefully end the Iraqi crisis.

Ambassadors of Germany, Russia and France jointly called on Mr Khokhar on Friday afternoon to convey to the Pakistani authorities the united position taken by their governments on the Iraq crisis.

Ambassador of Germany, Christopher Brummer, ambassador of Russia Eduard Shevchenko, and ambassador of France Yannick Gerard presented to the foreign secretary the text of the joint statement made by their respective foreign ministers on March 5.

During their meeting with Mr Khokhar, the ambassadors underlined that the UN inspections were producing “increasingly encouraging results” and that these inspections should be speeded up.

“In the present circumstances, the three countries would not let a proposed resolution pass in the UN Security Council that would authorise the use of force,” said a joint statement issued by the envoys after their call on the foreign secretary. The three countries were also of the view that besides the peaceful and full disarmament of Iraq, there was a chance to obtain through peaceful means a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East question, the statement said.

Earlier in the day the ambassador of China also called on the foreign secretary and discussed with him the Iraq situation, Foreign Office sources told Dawn .

China supports the position taken by Germany, Russia and France.