Addressing a gathering of current and future European Union (EU) members and neighboring countries including Russia, Annan said: "It is vital that we heal that division now. The world cannot afford a long period of recrimination."

Annan, who attended the EU summit in Athens on Wednesday and Thursday to learn at first hand what role Europe wants the United Nations to play in Iraq, said any UN political role in Iraq would have to get a mandate from the Security Council.

"Any role entrusted to the UN, beyond the purely humanitarian, should be mandated by the Security Council," Annan said.

The council was severely divided as France, Germany and Russia were strongly opposed to the Iraq war launched by the United States (US) and Britain.

In a statement, EU leaders urged the UN to play "a central role" in postwar Iraq, while Washington has insisted that the United States and its partner be in charge of the reconstruction.

Annan, who believes the unity of the Security Council should start with small steps, called for agreement on principles, such as the sovereignty of Iraq, the rights of the Iraqi people to determine their future and control their resources.

"If we base ourselves firmly on these principles, I believe we can reunite around a project to give the Iraqi people the chance of a brighter future. And that could be a big step toward a more stable and peaceful world," he said.

During his two-day stay in Athens, Annan held separate meetings with the leaders of Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Ireland as well as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2003)