UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said here Thursday that he hopes to meet next month with members of Iraq's Governing Council to elucidate the future role of the United Nations in the country.

"I hope we'll be able to sit to clarify what assistance and what role the UN can play and what they expect of us,"Annan said,suggesting the meeting be held around Jan.15next year.

"It has to be a three-way conversation and clarification"among the Iraqi council,the coalition and the world body,he told reporters at an end of year press conference held at the UN headquarters in New York.

"Once we have that,I will make a judgment whether we can take on that role and if so,how and where and under what circumstances,"he said.

Asked if he had received confirmation from the other participants about their attendance,he said members of the Governing Council would attend.

"With regards to the coalition,we've just started preliminary consultations,"he added."We haven't agreed on dates yet and who will be here,but I hope it can be resolved because it's in everyone's interest that we sit down together and clarify rather than make statements to each other through the press."

Annan confirmed that the Iraqi Foreign Minister,Hoshyar Zebari,had invited him to the country,and the UN chief did not "exclude the possibility"of a visit in the near future.

"I haven't been to the region in some time and I think in my discussions with leaders and foreign ministers from the region we've all agreed that it would be time for me to go back to the region,"he said,adding that he had not yet decided whether to visit Iraq during that trip.