BERLIN -- The foreign ministers of Iran and Germany, along with the French defense minister, are expected to respond to a speech by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Washington's Iraq policy during the upcoming 39th Munich Security Conference, a conference official told the website of the weekly Der Spiegel.

"What Washington has signaled to me is that Rumsfeld will once again explain the American Iraq position in Europe," said Horst Teltschik, the main organizer of the international meeting.

"Afterward the German foreign minister, the French defense minister and the Iranian foreign minister will be among a number of people to respond," he added.

Teltschik, a foreign policy advisor to former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, voiced hope that all three ministers "would not restrict themselves to only saying "No" but present alternatives".

Germany, France and Iran have repeatedly called for a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis, urging Baghdad to comply with UN Resolution 1441, IRNA reported.

Some 250 decision-makers from more than 40 countries, among them Russia, China and India, are scheduled to attend the Munich security conference, slated for February 7-9.

The meeting also features high-ranking military representatives, businessmen and members of the media, exchanging views on the latest developments in global foreign and security policy.

This year's conference is to focus on latest political developments in the Persian Gulf region, the global anti-terror campaign and NATO expansion.

The Munich security conference is also commonly referred to as the "NATO Security Conference" in the German media as it became the forum of NATO member states to devise political and military strategies to contain the former Soviet Union during the Cold War years.