Russian Foreign Minister on cooperation between Moscow and Baghdad

Moscow believes that ways of developing cooperation between Russia and Iraq will be worked out for a long period of time during the meetings with vice president of Iraq Taha Yassin Ramadan. Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov said this on Wednesday when opening negotiations in the guest residence of the Iraqi vice president. Igor Ivanov pointed out that Moscow is well aware that Taha Yassin Ramadan is a consistent advocate of the development of relations between our countries and that this is the first visit of such a high ranking Iraqi official to Russia over many years. "I hope," the Russian minister stressed, "that during the Iraqi vice president's Moscow visit and his meetings with the Russian leadership the sides will discuss a whole range of bilateral issues as well questions pertaining to settlement around Iraq, the situation in the Persian Gulf and in the Middle East."

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