Iraqi deputy Premier to visit Russia

The Russian ambassador in Baghdad, Alexander Chin, has announced that Iraqi Deputy Premier Tareq Aziz will head at the beginning of December to Moscow to hold important talks on discussions currently held at the UN about Iraq.

Aziz is scheduled to meet with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, according to what had been quoted by the Iraqi daily al-Joumhoreyah from the Russian ambassador.

The Russian ambassador at the UN, Sergy Lavrov, told the other members of the UN Security Council that he will head for Moscow to meet with Aziz on Wednesday or Thursday.

It is decided to suspend the current discussions currently taking place at the UN Security Council in order to reach a comprehensive solution over Iraq that provides for suspending the sanctions in return for monitoring Iraq's armament, awaiting the results of Aziz's visit to Moscow.

Aziz's visit to Moscow comes just few days before ending the work in the oil-for-food program, which was extended for 15 days according to the UN Security Council resolution no. 1275 (until December 4).

Iraq had opposed this decision and stopped its oil exports as an expression of its objection to it.