Lavrov calls for distancing his country's relations with Iraq from Western sanctions

POSTED ON[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] BY [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=52]Lavrov calls for distancing his country's relations with Iraq from Western sanctions[/size]

[size=45]Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein agreed with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on the need to find solutions to pay the oil companies' money without exposing Iraq to the sanctions imposed on Moscow. Lavrov arrived in Baghdad the day before yesterday, and the next morning he held a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Fuad Hussein.[/size]
[size=45]Hussein said in a joint press conference, followed by (Al-Mada), that "the dialogues with the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs have dealt extensively with all issues of a common nature, including the issue of investment and oil companies that they have huge investments."[/size]
[size=45]Hussein added, "The visit comes at an important time for bilateral relations, as well as for the situation in the region and the world in general."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "This opportunity was important for us to get acquainted with the point of view of the Russian side and we heard the policy of the Russian side on various issues."[/size]
[size=45]And between Hussein, "The Iraqi position on the war between Russia and Ukraine is clear, because we were victims of previous wars, and we are against wars, but we also call for a cease-fire and within the initiative presented by some countries."[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "Iraq was part of this initiative to establish the Arab contact group with the Russian and Ukrainian sides, and we have tried to discuss in this field, and we still support the cease-fire, and for the start of talks between the two parties to end this global crisis through peaceful talks."[/size]
[size=45]Hussein pointed out that "the talks touched, in addition to issues related to the war in the Ukrainian arena, to regional issues and bilateral relations, as there are old relations between Iraq and Russia, which are of a historical nature."[/size]
[size=45]He stressed, "There are links and cooperation in the security, military, economic and commercial fields, and there is an effective role for Russian oil companies in investing and working in the oil and gas sector."[/size]
[size=45]Hussein continues, “Some of these companies have dues on the Iraqi side, and we discussed in the meeting how to deal with these financial dues in light of the sanctions imposed on Russia and in light of the protection of Iraqi banks and the central bank from these sanctions.”[/size]
[size=45]He noted that "the emphasis has been obtained on the need to hold a meeting of the joint committee between the two parties, as there was a meeting of this committee in Moscow about a year ago, and we agreed on the need to hold a new meeting during this year in Baghdad."[/size]
[size=45]Hussein added, "The new meeting of the joint committee will address the problem of the work of Russian companies and their dues."[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "We will visit Washington tomorrow, Wednesday, and the same problem will be addressed with the American side."[/size]
[size=45]Hussein added, "The purpose of this proposal is because there are sanctions against Russia, and we do not want these sanctions to affect the Iraqi side, and we want continued cooperation with Russian companies."[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Lavrov called for "the need to exempt bilateral relations from sanctions imposed by the West."[/size]
[size=45]He emphasized the strength of the educational relations between the two countries, noting that "4,200 Iraqi students are studying in Russian universities, while a new batch will arrive in Moscow soon."[/size]
[size=45]He explained that Russian investments in the oil field in Iraq amounted to more than 10 billion dollars, pointing out that “Baghdad is studying opportunities to pay its debts to oil and gas companies operating in Iraq.”[/size]
[size=45]Lavrov said that he discussed with the Iraqi side the situation in Ukraine.[/size]
[size=45]He continued: “We remember very well how to level Mosul, Raqqa and other cities to the ground, and other war crimes that did not concern the international community or the concern of the international community to hold those responsible for these events accountable.” The Russian minister accused the West of "trying to stall on the Palestinian issue," stressing that it is "a pivotal and extremely important issue."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "the League of Arab States stands by concerted efforts to solve all the tasks set by the United Nations General Assembly."[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]