London hopes that Moscow will play specific role in postwar Iraq

British Ambassador to Russia Sir Roderic Lyne announced at a Thursday briefing that London was hoping that Moscow would play a specific role in postwar Iraq.

The ambassador reminded journalists that Russian companies had good experience of working in Iraq, while he was confident that a free market economy with many foreign, including Russian companies, working in the country would be created in the future.

Sir Roderic Lyne believes that the future of the country should be decided by representatives of Iraq itself.

When speaking about the differences between Moscow and London on the Iraqi question, the ambassador said that they were not fundamental, but rather of a technical nature. He stressed that Russia and Great Britain voted for the resolution on Iraq and were against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The ambassador emphasised that the differences were now in the past and that the most important point at the given stage was that Iraq returned to life and freedom. Britain and its Russian partners are working on these issues, Sir Roderic added.