"The use of force should be the last means..." he stressed when meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

Speaking of the Iraq issue at a press conference after talks with Ivanov, ElBaradei said IAEA should continue its cooperation with Russia and other members of the UN Security Council.

ElBaradei, however, admitted that international inspectors in Iraq are likely to continue working for at least several months.

"We will need at least several months to finalize conclusions" on whether Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction, he said.

Ivanov said that during initial inspections, "no data was obtained to prove that Iraq was conducting outlawed nuclear activities."

"An unilateral military operation unauthorized by the UN Security Council could aggravate the already complicated situation in the region and have an unpredictable impact on international peace and stability. It might also hinder the global war on international terrorism," Ivanov said.

ElBaradei said Russia could become the leading mediator in settling the DPRK's nuclear crisis.

He also welcomed Moscow's decision to send envoy to Pyongyang to help mediate the crisis over the DPRK's nuclear program.

Ivanov said Russia supports the IAEA's call for the DPRK to resume cooperation by reinstalling monitoring equipment at its nuclear facilities and allowing IAEA inspectors to enter the country again.

The two also stressed the importance of ensuring the nuclear-free status of the Korean peninsula.

ElBaradei arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for a two-day visit to Russia.

He will travel on to Baghdad on Sunday. He and UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix will report to the UN Security Council on Jan.27 about the progress of their inspections, which began in November.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2003)