Russia is ready to assist Iraq with restoration works, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov said.

During a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Wednesday, Saltanov said, “Russian companies and agencies are ready to continue the work on restoring Iraq.”

“My visit is aimed at developing bilateral relations and continuing discussions that were started by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki in Moscow in April and by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko in Baghdad last month,” the Russian deputy foreign minister said.

Earlier, he conferred with the Iraqi prime minister who showed interest in developing cooperation with Russia in the energy and oil sector, as well as military-technical interaction.