TEHRAN, Oct. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran hinted on Sunday that it might participate in an international conference on Iraq to be held in Cairo next month, saying it welcomed any effort to restore peace in the war-torn country, the official IRNA news agency reported.

   "The Islamic Republic welcomes any initiative to establish stability in Iraq, but details of Iran's participation in this conference will be announced later," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi was quoted as saying.

   "As Iraq's neighbor, we are attentive to the country. All talk sare about preserving Iraq's territorial integrity as well as establishing security and a broad-based government," Asefi said.

   US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sept. 26 that aconference on Iraq would be held in November, saying foreign ministers from major Western countries and several Middle Eastern countries would attend the meeting.

   Egypt announced Saturday that it would host the conference during the last week of November.  Enditem