Annan condemns Russian diplomat's killing in Iraq

Moscow, June 4 (UNI) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has strongly condemned the attack in Iraq, in which one Russian diplomat was killed and four others kidnapped, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement today.

''The UN Secretary General condemned yesterday's attack and urged for putting an end to similar acts of violence, the statement said adding, he also called on the Iraqi government and multi-national forces in Iraq to take all necessary steps to stop this wave of violence.'' Mr Annan expressed condolences to the family of the Russian diplomat killed in Iraq, and also to the people and the government of Russia.

''Four Russian embassy employees kidnapped in Baghdad yesterday had been released,'' Arab television channels quoted Iraqi Interior Ministry officials as saying.

However, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official later refuted these reports, RIA Novosti news agency said.

Yesterday's incident was not the first attack on Russian nationals in Iraq. In April 2004, three Russians and five Ukrainians working for a building company, Interenergoservice, were taken hostage and later freeed.

In May 2004, one Russian employee of Interenergoservice was killed and two others were kidnapped. The hostages were released in a week. Few days later, two Russians died in an attack on a group of employees of this company.

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