Moscow has agreed to cooperate with a Polish-led force responsible for security in southern Iraq, Marek Siwiec, the head of Poland's national security bureau, said Tuesday. Quoted by the PAP news agency after meeting with Security Council chief Vladimir Rushailo, Siwiec stressed that the Russian soldiers would not take part in the Polish-led unit. Saying Russian structures were present in Iraq, he said, "for that, the experience of Russians can be useful in our future mission." It was not clear exactly what kind of support Russia would bring. Poland, a key European supporter of the United States during the Iraq war, has been given command of a stabilization force in a zone spread over 80,000 square kilometers between Basra and Baghdad -- roughly a quarter the size of Poland itself. Poland said last week that the force had been formed and that more than 15 countries would take part. Rushailo on Tuesday reiterated Russia's line that the war in Iraq was a mistake. He said, however, that it was time to start rebuilding the country. He added that Polish soldiers might come up against armed groups and criminals. "Russia has experience in action in Afghanistan and also has experience in carrying out anti-terrorist operations in Chechnya," Rushailo was quoted by Itar-Tass as saying. "And we think that interaction between the Russian and Polish defense ministries, special forces and law enforcement agencies may lessen the number of victims there to the greatest extent possible, both among the civilian population and the representatives of international forces," he said. Poland has said the force will be on the ground by July and fully operational by the end of August. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Russian troops board a helicopter at Mozdok airbase which borders Chechnya. (AFP/EPA/File)