Iraq's Allawi due in Russia for oil, debt talks [View All]

Where's all this secret listening technology when you could
really use it? I'll bet this is a fascinating conversation.

MOSCOW (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi arrives in Moscow for the first time since taking office six months ago with hopes of soothing tensions over Russia's opposition to the US-led war in his ravaged nation. The US-backed Allawi is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) at some point before his departure Wednesday and both sides said the talks would focus on future economic prospects rather than the diplomatic bitterness over the war.

Officials said Russia would try to win back lucrative oil contracts it signed under Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime in exchange for Moscow's promise to write off 90 percent of Iraq (news - web sites)'s eight billion dollar Soviet era debt.

Iraq tore up most of the oil deals amid confusion over the approaching war and despite furious protests from such Russian oil giants as LUKoil.

Yahoo