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