- Title: RUSSIA: RUSSIAN WORKERS RETURN FROM IRAQ
- Date: 15th April 2004
- Summary: (W7) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 15, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF ILYUSHIN-76 PLANE TAXIING ON TARMAC AFTER LANDING 0.10 2. SLV RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY OFFICIALS NEAR PLANE 0.15 3. VARIOUS OF PLANE COMING TO A STOP 0.33 4. VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS WHO LEFT IRAQ GETTING OFF PLANE 0.56 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(Russian) RETURNEE ALEXANDER TERESCHENKO SAYING: "Security worked all right. We drove without any delays from the American side. It is my third evacuation (from Iraq). Everything was happening, but it is our job." 1.18 6. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GETTING OFF AIRCRAFT AND ONTO BUS 1.48 7. SLV ANOTHER BUS ARRIVING 1.54 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 30th April 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVAABRDTYQ6INUYZESG0Z8YEVA2O
- Story Text: First Russian workers to leave Iraq arrive back in
Moscow.
The first flight taking Russian workers home from
Iraq landed in Moscow late on Thursday (April 15).
The aircraft had 120 Russians on board and landed at
Zhukovsky airport. Two more flights were expected later on
Thursday, carrying a further 250 Russian and nationals of
former Soviet republics.
Moscow offered on Wednesday (April 14) to airlift more
than 800 Russians and citizens of ex-Soviet republics out
of Iraq after eight Russian and Ukrainian workers were
briefly kidnapped in Baghdad.
The eight employees of contractor Interenergoservis,
building a power plant in Baghdad, were kidnapped by gunmen
and spent 19 hours in captivity. The released hostages said
the gunmen freed them after learning they belonged to a
company from Russia, which opposed the U.S.-led invasion
and occupation of Iraq.
One passenger, Alexander Tereschenko, said security
went well and it was his third return from Iraq.
Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said on
Wednesday that Moscow had no intention of forcing its
citizens to return home from Iraq because it was up to the
Russian companies to make a judgement.
Several Russian firms, including Tekhnopromexport --
which is building a power plant outside Baghdad and has 370
staff in Iraq -- have already said they are planning to
withdraw.
Washington initially excluded Russian companies from
lucrative contracts to rebuild Iraq, but later granted them
sub-contracts estimated at a total of one billion dollars.
No official figures on Russia's commercial stake have been
issued.
Apart from rebuilding Iraq's power network, Russian
firms are also involved in the transport, oil and gas
sectors.
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