Russia reiterates support for Iraq

Chairman of the Russian Duma council Genadi Selezenove has expressed concern over the repeated statements by the US on possibilities of striking Iraq after Afghanistan.

During his meeting in Moscow on Friday with the Iraqi deputy Prime minister Tareq Aziz, the Russian official stressed that Russia strongly opposes striking Iraq by the US. He stressed that his country considers Iraq as a strategic partner in the region and that prospects of developing Russian- Iraqi cooperation is very large.

For his part, Aziz said that Russia is still for Iraq the first partner, stressing that cooperation relations between Moscow and Baghdad are firm for the mutual benefits.