RUSSIA SETTING STAGE FOR SHELVING IRAQ SANCTIONS?

At a briefing August 31, Foreign Ministry chief spokesman Grigory Karasin dismissed concerns that Russia is preparing to breach international economic sanctions against Iraq. Worry about such a development arose from recent meetings and agreements among Russian and Iraqi officials on the resumption of trade between the two countries. Karasin insisted that the understandings cover only the post-sanctions period, and would not become operational until the international sanctions are lifted or eased. Earlier this month, the Foreign Ministry invoked similar justifications in connection with a week-long meeting in Moscow of the Russia-Yugoslavia intergovernmental economic commission, at which large-scale agreements were reached despite the international sanctions in effect against rump Yugoslavia.

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