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US envoy to Moscow says Russian firms have place in post-war Iraq
Interfax

Yekaterinburg, 3 April: US Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow believes that Russian companies should take part in the post-war arrangements in Iraq.

Despite their differences on the military operation in Iraq, Russia and the USA should begin contacts on the post-conflict arrangement of Iraq as soon as possible, Vershbow said at a televised press conference in the US General Consulate in Yekaterinburg.

About 20 Yekaterinburg journalists made it into the consulate building where the press conference was being held. Each journalist was searched before entering the building, as a result of which most of the journalists missed the beginning of the conference.

Vershbow said this conference can be considered part of the campaign aimed at explaining the official position of the USA on Iraq.

Vershbow said that, despite the increasing anti-American sentiment in Russia, after the crisis many people will admit that the people of Iraq have a chance to make a good life for themselves.

Speaking about guarantees that the USA will not plant chemical and biological weapons in Iraq, Vershbow said US troops have not found any such weapons in Iraq yet, but are expecting to find them soon. He said that these weapons will be found sooner or later as Iraq's troops have been moving them from place to place. Vershbow said the USA categorically denies that it has any intention of planting chemical and biological weapons in Iraq.

Vershbow gave the most recent information on the number of POWs in Iraq. According to his information, 12 coalition soldiers have been captured or listed as missing and 4,600 Iraqis have been captured.

After the conference, Vershbow thanked journalists for their questions.

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