"The United Nations should play a key role in the arrangements for post-war Iraq," Yuri Fedotov said at a briefing in the Chinese capital.

"That's the common position of China and Russia on the issue of post-war Iraq," he said.

Fedotov was meeting with the press after two days of talks with Chinese foreign ministry officials focusing on the Iraq issue.

He criticized a US decision to bar Russian companies from taking part in US-funded reconstruction of Iraq, saying post-war Iraq should not be shaped by the United States.

"The forms and standards of Iraqi reconstruction should not be decided by the US Congress, but by the United Nations," he said.

He spoke just hours after the US House of Representatives passed a supplementary budget amendment excluding Russia, France, Germany and Syria from taking part in US-funded reconstruction bids in Iraq.

The measure, motivated by the countries' opposition to the US-led war in Iraq, would even bar access by the four countries to information on reconstruction bids in Iraq.

Fedotov added it was too early to talk about post-war Iraq in detail, because it was still unclear when the US-led war would end and under what circumstances.

"The original US plan to wage a short war without large numbers of casualties has not materialized," he said. "Every day the war brings casualties among innocent people."

He called the war "a very big political mistake that could have serious consequences for the United States."

"The security and stability of the Middle East region is under threat, and the war is also turning into a humanitarian disaster, while it's very possible that an ecological disaster will follow," he said.

"It may also strengthen the force and activities of international terrorism."

In a joint statement issued Friday, China and Russia expressed "deep concern" over the continuation of military operations in Iraq and over its humanitarian consequences.

The two neighbors also expressed concerns that the Iraqi conflict could influence regional and global security and development.

"The two sides urge the relevant countries to stop military operations and return to the right path towards a political solution," it said.

The statement came as US troops were on the outskirts of Baghdad and poised to take control of the capital's airport.

Despite what seemed to be rapid US advance, Fedotov said a call for an end to hostilities still made sense.

"The Iraq war appears to become more and more serious, and may last longer than expected," he said. "At the same time, people are dying every day."

Fedotov, who met Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and other ranking officials, also discussed the North Korean nuclear issue with his interlocutors. "On North Korea, China and Russia also hope to solve this problem politically," he said.

WAR.WIRE