Iraq's oil minister to visit Moscow shortly

Iraq’s oil minister Ibrahim Baher al-Aloum said on Wednesday he had agreed to convene talks in Moscow but he did not make commitment on finalizing oil deals at a cost of billions of dollars, Russia had made with the former Iraqi government.

He told Abu Dhabi's TV "the invitation was accepted yesterday, but the date for the visit was not specified yet." He added that the future of oil cooperation between Russia and Iraq -- which owns the second oil reserves in the world -- is linked to "its support to the Iraqi people at this time," but gave no further details.

Baher al-Aloum said that the previous oil contracts will be reviewed by oil ministry experts to decide whether they serve the interests of Iraqi people and the extent of its validity, according to the international Law.

After its opposition to the war launched by the US against Iraq, a war which toppled the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in April, Moscow has been threatened of loosing oil deals for the interests of American and other western companies. Russia signed contracts at a cost of 4 billion dollars with the government of Saddam Hussein to develop oil reserves and hand over needed equipment.