Russian-Saudi talks focus on Iraq, Mideast
AP 16 Oct 2002
MOSCOW - Russian and Saudi officials discussed Iraq, the Mideast crisis and prospects of boosting bilateral ties during their talks Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and visiting Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf agreed that the Iraqi crisis should be "settled by political and diplomatic means on the basis of the corresponding resolutions of the U.N. Security Council," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
During the talks, Ivanov emphasized that the global community must "take advantage of Baghdad's readiness to create the most favorable conditions for international inspectors, who, in their turn, must start their activities in Iraq without delay," the statement said.
Russia and China have insisted that U.N. inspectors should deploy to Iraq without waiting for a new Council resolution which the United States and Britain wanted to provide them with military backing. Chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix said Tuesday that he will wait for the Security Council to adopt a new resolution.
Russia has strongly opposed the use of military force against Iraq and said no new U.N. resolutions were needed. It has criticized the U.S. draft but said it was willing to consider other proposals.
Ivanov and al-Assaf also discussed ways to develop bilateral economic ties. They reaffirmed their nations' desire to boost bilateral trade and carry out joint economic and investment projects," the Russian statement said.
Al-Assaf, who co-chairs a Russian-Saudi inter-government commission on trade and economic cooperation, on Tuesday met with Russian energy officials, who assured him that Russian supplies of oil to the United States do not amount to a competitive threat to Saudi Arabia.
Russia has become a significant supplier of oil to the United States this year for the first time ever, and the issue was high on the agenda of a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush to Moscow in the spring.
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