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Russia: Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Discusses UN Sanctions


Moscow, 9 May 1997 (RFE/RL) - Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz met today with Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov to discuss easing UN sanctions imposed on Baghdad for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Aziz stopped off in Moscow on his way back from a visit to Beijing where he also called for a lifting of the embargo on its oil sales. Last week the UN Security Council decided to renew the sanctions for two months.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement noted what it called "Iraq's willingness to cooperate in a constructive way" with the UN, which, the statement said, will open the way to a lifting of the oil embargo.

Aziz and Primakov also discussed the oil-for-food program, under which Iraq can sell $1 billion worth of crude every six months in order to buy essential food and medicines.
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