Iraqi prime minister in Russia, Kremlin pressed on debt

[maddezmom]

MOSCOW (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi arrived in Moscow hoping to soothe tensions over Russia's opposition to the US-led war in his country as Moscow called upcoming elections in Iraq (news - web sites) a "very important step" towards normalizing the situation there.


{b]A top Iraqi envoy however pressed Russia to wipe out Iraq's entire debt to Moscow and said in an interview with Interfax news agency that Baghdad would seek compensation if it were proven that any Russian firms violated the UN oil-for-food program now the subject of an investigation.


Allawi was due to meet President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) for talks at the Kremlin on Tuesday likely to focus on Moscow's efforts to win back oil contracts Russia signed under Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s fallen regime.


Russian officials said Putin and other top officials would talk about the political situation in Iraq including the elections scheduled for January 30 as well as ways to revive long-standing economic and business links between Iraq and Russia.

more:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=12&u=/afp/20041206/wl_mideast_afp/russia_iraq_041206200950

[maddezmom]

1. Allawi's Euro tour excludes fellow "peace camp" member France

The US-backed Allawi for his part will seek to smooth long-term diplomatic relations with Russia following a similar trip to Germany in what is a European tour of powers that opposed the war that notably excluded fellow "peace camp" member France.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&ncid=732&e=3&u=/afp/20041207/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_russia_politics_economy_trade_energy_oil_debt