UNITED NATIONS, July 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Salman Haider, India's foreign secretary, is likely to accept the appointment as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative (SRSG) to Iraq, diplomatic sources said here Thursday.

    Haider, a former ambassador to China and Britain, is on the five-person list for the top UN envoy to Iraq which has been suggested months ago by Annan's secretariat, a diplomat told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    "For the Secretariat, it has been agreed to choose the candidates from developing Islamic countries," the source said. "Preferably, the new envoy should be a Muslim and can speak Arabic." Enditem