Situation around Iraq still causes Moscow's concern

As RIA Novosti knows from the information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksander Saltanov said as meeting new Iraqi Ambassador to Moscow Abbas Halaf Kunfuz, who presented his credentials to the Russian diplomat, that the situation around Iraq still causes Moscow's grave concern despite certain reassuring changes which had taken place recently.

The diplomats considered topical issues of Russian-Iraqi relations and the situation around Iraq.

While talking about possible further developments, the Deputy Foreign Minister stressed that in order to prevent the worst scenarios one should more actively create prerequisites for a political and diplomatic resolution of the Iraqi problem. First of all, the deputy minister deemed it important that dialogue between Baghdad and the UN Secretary General on restoration of cooperation in the area of disarmament yield results. The Russian Foreign Ministry representatives stressed that the subsequent development and normalization of relations between Iraq and its southern neighbours would improved the atmosphere.

In addition, both sides expressed satisfaction with the sustainable development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the trade and economic sphere. Saltanov pointed out the importance of subsequent improvement of relations in this area taking into account new aspects of the humanitarian operation for Iraq recently approved by the UN Security Council with, certainly, strict adherence to sanctions regime requirements.

The Russian diplomat is of the opinion that in this context it is necessary to ensure safe conditions of Russian companies' operation and promotion of Russian-manufactured products on the Iraqi market.