Russia blocking Paris Club debt relief for Iraq: G20 source

[maddezmom]

BERLIN (AFP) - Russia is blocking a Paris Club agreement to wipe out 80 percent of Iraqi debt, a source said on the sidelines of a Group of 20 meeting of finance chiefs.


High-level talks between Russia and the United States aimed at breaking the deadlock are under way, the source said on condition of anonymity.


"An agreement has been reached with most of the creditor nations, with the exception of Russia," the source said.


"Russia wasn't in a position to give an agreement... talks are under way at the highest level between the Americans and Russians because there must be unanimity."

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=2&u=/afp/20041121/wl_mideast_afp/g20_economy_bank_forex_041121114535

So will * see, when he look into Putin's eyes again??? :eyes:

[lil-petunia]

1. I looked him in the eye. I can do business with him.

Georgie, georgie, you going to send condi to negotiate with the ruskies because she so expert a historian?

That would be almost as dumb as Clinton sending Stroke Talbott. (An almost disaster).

No, it would be much dumber. I am not being fair to him. Talbott tried to do the right thing, he just was extremely inexperienced. And made a bunch of dumb moves early on. He did get better as he figured things out.

[pretzel4gore]

8. lil..it's 'Strobe' Talbott

can't have any mistakes running loose now...lurker freepers maybe get con-fused by lil joke eh freepers..l..

[lil-petunia]

11. Did I miss that again? I was dating a State Dept. person for a bit

I only heard him called stroke. Then again, my date served in Moscow, and had a different view of reality vs. what he thought it was.

[Minstrel Boy]

2. The United States purposefully bankrupted the Soviet Union

by bleeding them in Afghanistan.

Poetic justice for Putin.

[Deja Q]

4. Which created the taliban, who are now bleeding us.

Poetic justice for the world, overall?

[Menshevik]

3. Apparently Mother Russia has just given in...

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,11460405%255E1702,00.html

[maddezmom]

6. CNN just reported as well, wonder what Putin got in return?

:shrug:

[Javaman]

7. Drilling rights...

They had a huge debt to forgive, they had to get something in return.

[Spazito]

9. I get the strong feeling Putin is holding a Royal Flush hand...

while bush doesn't even have a pair.

[Benhurst]

10. Bush doesn't have a pair -- that's for sure, despite his swagger. n/t

[papau]

5. We (21 countries)forgive $33 B of debt, while Arab states demand 80B?

Seems fair.