MOSCOW, Feb. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Saturday that Russia is prepared to cooperate with the United States in rebuilding Iraq and called for international efforts to fight terrorism.

    "We want the US and its allies in Iraq to succeed. We are prepared to closely cooperate to ensure a swift political settlement of the situation in the country," Ivanov, who is attending an international security conference in Munich, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

    He said it is necessary to launch joint efforts to resolve the lingering Iraq crisis which runs counter to the international community's interests.

    "Iraqi territory became attractive for members of terrorist groups from the entire Middle East. It is a real magnet for terrorists," Ivanov said.

    Russia, a steadfast opponent of the US-led Iraq war, has been insisting on a central role for the United Nations in the reconstruction process in post-war Iraq and has called for an early restoration of Iraq's sovereignty.

    On the Chechen issue, Ivanov said Arabs, Turks, and Western Europeans are among several bandit groups operating in the restive Russian republic.

    Speaking a day after the bombing of a train on the Moscow metro,Ivanov said "extensive and diverse international cooperation is needed to shut down the channels of financing for terrorist organizations regardless of their whereabouts".

    The suspected terrorist blast, which Russian President VladimirPutin blamed on Chechen separatists, killed at least 39 and injured over 130. Ivanov also called for closer international cooperation to combat drug trafficking and suggested the creation of a Russia-NATO cooperation framework to counter the drugs trade in Afghanistan. Enditem