Igor Ivanov: "Our companies will take part in Iraq's reconstruction"

In his statement to PRAVDA.Ru in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, said Russian companies "will take part in Iraq's reconstruction process", because Baghdad provisional authorities "know what they need". Ivanov also said only the Iraqi people could sue Saddam Hussein –recently captured by US special forces in Tikrit-, as does not consider correct to talk about executions at this stage.

Question: Who should try Saddam Hussein?
I think the Iraqi people should sue Saddam Hussein. Iraqi institutions also have to decide whether he will be subject to death penalty or not. From my point of view is not legally, not even politically correct to talk about executions before the process has started.

Q.: What do you think is the most urgent priority in Iraq?
To return national sovereignty to the Iraqi people. That should be the beginning of a plan to reconstruct Iraq after the war, which should approved by the United Nations Security Council and executed by the UN. This new process will help Iraq to secure safe conditions to recover the political and economical stability of the country.

Q.: Are Russian companies going to take part of this process?
Our companies will take part of Iraq’s reconstruction process, as our country has a long tradition of collaborating with this country. We have the confirmation from the Iraqi provisional authorities that our companies will keep on running the contracts interrupted by the war, as will actively participate of the reconstruction process.

Q.: But what if Washington discriminates companies from those countries that did not supported the war. Is Russia going to appeal before any international organism?
We don not need to do that. We will discuss this issue with the Iraqi authorities. They know what they need. We have good ties with the provisional government of Iraq.

Q.: What about your relationship with them?
We have bilateral contacts with the Provisional Council of Iraq, as well as relation through the United Nations. I think it is important to support them so they can conclude their task. However, I think they should enlarge their source of support to be fully recognized by the Iraqi people and the international community. That is what they need to secure the political and economical stability.

Russian Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, is in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as part of a round tour in South America. He already visited Chile and Uruguay. Today, he will meet Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, before taking a flight to Brazil, where he will meet President Lula Da Silva. Ivanov's last stop at the end of the week will be Venezuela.

Hernan Etchaleco
Exclusively for Pravda.Ru