US President George W. Bush andIraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar discussed on Thursday efforts to prompt Iraqis to go to Jan. 30 elections despite increasing violent activities by insurgents, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

"President Yawar talked about the ongoing efforts to encourage broad participation by all Iraqis in the election, and ...they also discussed the security situation briefly," said McClellan.

Bush recalled his Wednesday interview with Al-Arabiya satellitetelevision in which he urged Iraqis to vote, and also "talked about his belief that Iraqi forces would be assuming more and moreresponsibility for Iraq's security as they improve their capabilities," the spokesman said.

This is the 7th conversation that Bush has had with either the prime minister or the president of Iraq since the beginning of thenew year.

Bush had a telephone conversation on Jan. 25 with Iraqi interimPrime Minister Iyad Allawi over the preparations for the election.

"The president underscored how this election will be an historic moment for the people of Iraq," McClellan said, noting that the two leaders attached the importance to encouraging broad participation in the upcoming elections. Enditem