Evian, June 03: World leaders closed out their annual summit today by pledging a united effort to rebuild Iraq and combat the threat of nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea. In a four-page closing statement, the Group of Eight summit countries - the world's seven wealthiest nations and Russia - sought to move past their bitter divisions over the US-led war in Iraq by declaring that they were united in the reconstruction effort. The summary statement delivered by French President Jacques Chirac said that the G-8 leaders "share the conviction that the time has now come to build peace and reconstruct Iraq."

"Our shared objective is a fully sovereign, stable and democratic Iraq," the G-8 leaders declared.

The G-8 leaders put Iran and North Korea on notice that they will not stand by and allow them to acquire nuclear weapons, although there were differences between the united states and the other G-8 countries over how far the major powers were willing to go in pressuring Iran.

A senior member of the Russian delegation told reporters today that Iran "must remove any doubts of its compliance with the (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) by June 16," the next meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors. On North Korea, the G-8 closing statement said that the leaders supported the efforts being made by countries in the region, including China, to prod North Korea to comply with its past commitments on nuclear non-proliferation. Bureau Report