Iraq's neighbours, faced with new geopolitical realities, meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday to mull ways of helping form a national government in Baghdad and shorten the presence of US forces there. Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the host nation, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Jordan and Kuwait, all bordering Iraq, in addition to Bahrain, the current Arab League chairman, and Egypt, have confirmed their attendance, analysts and diplomats said Wednesday.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Monday the "emergency regional conference" was called "in response to the current circumstances and developments in Iraq, which affect the Iraqi people in particular, and (have) repercussions on the countries of the region in general."

Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states called after an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh Tuesday for the establishment of a national Iraqi government from all political shades.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, whose country holds the rotating GCC presidency, said the role of a transitional government would be very important as "the Iraqi people will not accept a foreign government for a long time."

GCC states, which had strained relations with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, had no objection to dealing with a new government in Baghdad "as long as power will be transferred to Iraqis," Sheikh Hamad said.

He added that member countries "are going to discuss certain ideas with the United States and Britain" about the withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Egypt held a similar regional conference on January 23 in Istanbul in a bid to prevent the US war on Iraq.

The conference is also expected to discuss US threats against Syria and accusations that Damascus possesses chemical weapons and harbours fleeing officials of Saddam's deposed regime.

The GCC states Tuesday declared their rejection of "any threat against Syria .. and any attack on its security."

"We believe the threats against Syria should end and ask the United States and Britain to begin direct negotiations with Damascus to resolve the problem," Sheikh Hamad said.

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Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Monday the "emergency regional conference" was to discuss "the current circumstances and developments in Iraq, and repercussions on the countries of the region". (AFP/File/Marwan Naamani)