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Iraq and Belarus sign economic accord

Iraq and Belarus have signed an accord on economic cooperation and agreed to set up air links between the two countries.

The agreements were signed by the Iraqi Finance Minister, Hekmat Ibrahim al-Azzaqi, and the Belarussian Deputy Prime Minister, Vladimir Zametalin, who is in Baghdad on a visit.

The aviation accord aims to start up regular flights between Minsk and Baghdad. The Iraqi news agency quoted Mr Zametalin as saying that Belarus was eager to strengthen cooperation with Iraq in all fields. Mr Zametalin, who's leading a large delegation of Belarussian officials and businessmen, met President Saddam Hussein on Saturday and delivered a message from his counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service