DATE=11/29/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=RUSSIA / IRAQ (L ONLY)

NUMBER=2-269810

BYLINE=SONJA PACE

DATELINE=MOSCOW

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tareq Aziz, is in Moscow for talks with Russian officials about U-N sanctions against his country. Sonja Pace reports from Moscow that Russia has long been a proponent of lifting the embargo.

TEXT: Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said his talks with Mr. Aziz would focus on ways to achieve the lifting of the decade-old sanctions within the context of U-N resolutions.

The United Nations imposed the sanctions to punish Iraq for its 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait, and the Security Council has passed resolutions demanding that Iraq get rid of its weapons of mass destruction before sanctions can be lifted. Iraq says it has complied with U-N demands, but the United States and Britain say it has not. Russia has been more sympathetic toward Baghdad's position, but it has also told Iraq it should allow U-N weapons inspectors back into the country to check whether that process has been completed. There seems to be some movement forward on that issue. U-N officials in New York announced Tuesday that the U-N and Iraq have agreed to hold talks early next year about resuming weapons inspections.

Russia has long been a proponent of easing and eventually lifting the sanctions, arguing they have mainly hurt millions of innocent Iraqi civilians. Russia is also among an increasing number of countries that have recently sent flights to Baghdad in defiance of the U-N sanctions committee. Russia's state-owned Aeroflot airline has also started negotiations with Baghdad about resuming regular commercial flights, and officials in Moscow have said such air links could resume as soon as sanctions are lifted.

Russia was one of Iraq's major trading partners before sanctions were imposed and is eager to resume business ties as well as to start collecting billions of dollars in debts owed by Iraq. The foreign ministry in Moscow says sanctions against Baghdad have cost Russia some 30 billion dollars. (Signed)

NEB/SP/KL