U.S.-Ukraine Venture Wins Iraq Contract

[CShine]

An American-Ukrainian joint venture has been awarded a contract worth $78 million to equip Iraq's new army, the Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

The order was the first involving a Ukrainian business venture in the postwar reconstruction of Iraq, Foreign Ministry spokesman Markian Lubkivsky said. He refused to name the company or give any details.

However, a report published on the U.S. Defense Department Web site on May 27 said that the $120 million deal was tailored to meet the needs of 15 Iraqi battalions and 6 brigade headquarters units by the end of September 2006. It did not say what kind of equipment was involved.

The contract was awarded to the Vienna, Va.-based ANHAM joint venture but will involve several countries and companies, including those from Ukraine, Britain, Canada, Romania and China. Ukraine's portion amounts about 65 percent of the order and is worth about $78 million, the report said.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-ukraine-iraq,0,1262940.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines