UNITED NATIONS, July 09, 3:18 /ITAR-TASS/. Russia proposes to organize an international forum on terrorist threats in Iraq and hopes this initiative will enroll support, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Tuesday.

“We hope this idea would win support, since, as far as we understand, all are worried over the developments in Iraq,” he told Russian journalists, adding that Iraq was “really facing a threat of disintegration.” “There is understanding in the international community that it is high time to do something. I think this support will only grow to create a platform for the organization of such forum,” he noted.

Discussions on a possibility of an international forum on Iraq “are at the initial stage,” Gatilov said. “The task is to clarify the positions of key players, and later on to decide on the format - a venue, parameters, but we think that the United Nations must play its role, since this issue is being discussed at the United Nations Security Council and we cannot go without this global organization here,” he noted.

The situation, in his words, “is rapidly degrading,” with terrorist forces led by the group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant consolidating their positions in Iraq and Syria. “The fact that terrorist groups are acting on territories of two Arab states demonstrates that pooled efforts are strongly needed,” he added.