The Chinese ambassador on Saturday told a security conference in Baghdad that the world should help war-torn Iraq to achieve stability, peace and development.

"Under the guideline of mutual trust and benefit, and equality, all sides concerned should strengthen collective dialogue and cooperation in the fields of politics, security and economy to help Iraq achieve stability, peace and development as soon as possible," Ambassador Chen Xiaodong said.

The one-day security conference, attended by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Iran, Syria and the Arab League, was aimed at seeking solutions to the country's deteriorating situation.

Neighboring countries of Iraq play a unique and important role in dealing with the Iraq issue, Chen added.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China supports the UN in playing an important role in Iraq, and consistently maintains that Iraq's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected and safeguarded, the ambassador said.

The meeting was attended mostly by ambassadors to Iraq, but the US also sent David Satterfield, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's top adviser on Iraq, along with its ambassador.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2007)