Purnomo holds talk with Saddam

Purnomo holds talk with Saddam

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro held
talks on Tuesday with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during a
visit in Baghdad, the Indonesian embassy said.

Purnomo, heading a delegation of oil, gas and electricity
experts, earlier met with Iraq's Oil Minister Amer Mohammed
Rashid and Industry and Mines Minister Muyassar Raja Shallah, the
embassy said without giving details.

Purnomo said on arrival in Baghdad on Monday that talks would
focus on "exploring the prospects of cooperation between Iraq and
Indonesia in the economic and commercial fields."

The minister's visit came as Iraq renewed calls for Arab and
Islamic states to join a collective oil embargo to protest
Israel's military offensive in the West Bank and U.S. support for
the Jewish state.

Iraq halted oil exports on April 8 for at least 30 days. But
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim state and itself a crude
exporter, has already said it does not believe in use of the oil
weapon.

The state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina also imports
part of its crude needs from Iraq.

Seen in the picture is Purnomo and Rashid. -- AFP