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Moscow assures Iraq on upgrade of relations

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, October 24, 2001

NICOSIA Ñ Iraq and Russia have agreed to upgrade cooperation as well as trade relations.

Arab diplomatic sources said Russian President Vladimir Putin has relayed assurances to Baghdad that his country will improve ties with Iraq. The assurances include Russian willingness to sell equipment and dual-use systems to Iraq.

Earlier this week, a Russian delegation reviewed ties with Iraq and discussed the prospect of advanced transport and telecommunications systems to Baghdad. Many of these systems have been banned by the United Nations as being of use to the Iraqi military.

The talks included Russian officials with Iraqi Transport Minister Ahmed Murtada Ahmed. The minister said Russia has agreed to promote cooperation with Baghdad in the field of transportation and communications.

Russian officials said Moscow plans to improve technical and scientific cooperation with Baghdad. Russian envoy Nikolai Korotozov said he expects that trade between the two countries will reach $1 billion by the end of the year.

Baghdad has awarded Russia most-favored-nation status in return for Moscow's efforts to block a U.S.-British attempt to impose so-called smart sanctions on Iraq. Moscow has worked to remove all sanctions on Baghdad and the current UN restrictions on Iraq are scheduled to expire by Dec. 1.

The sources said Russian companies and their counterparts in other parts of the former Soviet Union have increased their attempts to sell dual-use systems to Iraq. They said such systems would help improve Iraq's military, particularly in the area of air defense and armor.

Meanwhile, Baghdad said U.S. military forces are continuing to strike Iraq. Officials said an Iraqi-owned civilian vessel was damaged by U.S. Navy fire near the Iraqi southern port of Mina Al-Bakr on Sept. 26.

Iraqi officials expect a U.S. attack on the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said his government would not allow the return of UN arms inspectors even if this meant a U.S. military offensive.

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