Ukraine Demands Iraqi Contracts

President Kuchma of the Ukraine has signed an order to improve the activity of the Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent and ensure Ukrainian interests in Iraq, the presidential press secretary, Olena Hromnytska, said.

The document instructs Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Klyuyev to step up the work of the inter-agency group on ensuring Ukrainian interests in Iraq and take additional measures to secure the participation of Ukrainian companies and organizations in post-war rebuilding of the Iraqi transport infrastructure and oil industry, supplying steel products, providing facilities for repairing armoured vehicles to Iraq and the training of Iraqi specialists. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry is to continue working to improve the organizational structure of Ukrainian peacekeeping contingents and support them as part of regular units of the Ukrainian armed forces.