MOSCOW, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Monday asked the international community to take measures to curb the Iraq situation from sliding into civil war.

    "The worsening military and political situation in Iraq calls for energetic steps on the part of the international community to prevent the country from sliding into civil war," the Interfax news agency said, citing a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin.

    Despite all the efforts by Iraqi and coalition forces to maintain law and order, including in Baghdad, the military and political situation in Iraq shows no signs of normalization, the statement said.

    The diplomat asked leaders of major Iraqi political blocs, as well as of ethnic and religious communities, to show solidarity against terrorism.

    He said Russia will help preparing and holding an international ministerial meeting on Iraq situation in Sharm ash-Sheikh, Egypt, next month.

    Though a security plan in Baghdad has entered the third month, the country is still plagued by sectarian violence and unabated terrorist activities such as explosions at markets and mosques and even in the well-protected Green Zone in central Baghdad.

    "Russia severely condemns all forms of terrorism, no matter what pretexts the organizers of these crimes use to justify them," the Interfax quoted Kamynin as saying.