KUWAIT, Nov 17: United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has said she was counting on Russia and France to convince Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to back down in the stand-off over UN arms inspections.

``We look to Russia and France to use their unique ability to communicate with Saddam Hussein to convince him that the only way out is to change course,'' Albright said yesterday during her swing through the Gulf to drum up support for the US stance against Baghdad.

``We are currently pursuing a diplomatic solution but we can't rule out any options,'' Albright told reporters in Kuwait before heading to Saudi Arabia.``We are not seeking a military solution but there is no way out for Saddam Hussein if he does not reverse his decision and change course.''

But in Baghdad last night, Saddam said his country was not looking for a confrontation with the United States and was seeking a solution with the United Nations Security Council ``through dialogue.''

Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said Baghdad would allow the return of US weapons inspectors so long as they were on an equal footing with un experts from other countries, in an newspaper interview to be appeared in France today.

In Raiyad, Albright has met King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Abdallah Ibn Abdel Aziz, Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal and the Ambassador to Washington, Bandar Ibn Sultan. She held a first round of talks last night with the Crown Prince, whose country served as the launchpad for Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Gulf war when a US-led coalition drove Iraqi occupation forces out of Kuwait. Their talks ``did not focus on military options in any serious way,'' said a US official travelling with Albright.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.