Moscow,(Saba) -The Kremlin press service said, "The Russian side expressed readiness to begin talks in the immediate future on the
debt settlement within the framework of the Paris Club for the purpose of easing Iraq's debt burden. It was stressed that the Russian position at the talks would be determined, among other things, with account taken of the economic interests of Russia and Russian companies in Iraq." Itar-Tass
News Agency reported here Saturday.

Russian Vice-Premier and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, who took part in the Putin-Baker conversation, told ITAR-TASS that the Paris Club "provides for the adoption of a special IMF program that envisages structural and institutional measures to restore the Iraqi economy."

According to the report a week ago, the U.S. president who appointed former Secretary of State James Baker his special envoy for the Iraqi debt issue, had telephone talks with the leaders of Russia, France and Germany on
the Iraq-related issues. The White House spokesman reported that George W. Bush asked the three leaders to receive James Baker and told his European colleagues about "the necessity of restructuring and reducing Iraq's unbearable debt burden."

James Baker met President Jacques Chirac of France and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at the beginning of this week. After those meetings in Paris and Bonn, the White House released a statement on behalf of the leaders of the United States, France and Germany confirming their "readiness
to work together in order to reduce substantially Iraq's debt." However, the statement made it clear that the parties would specify the size of these reductions later. The report said.