Pertamina seeks oil deal with Iraq

State oil and gas company Pertamina revealed on Tuesday that it was seeking to secure an oil deal with Iraq and to take part in its oil-for-food program under the United Nations, a report said.

Pertamina president director Baihaki Hakim said he hoped a planned visit to Iraq by Vice President Hamzah Haz in January or February could help his company reach a deal.

"Hopefully this deal can be discussed in intergovernmental talks since Iraq's conditions stipulate that a visit must be made to Iraq by one of Indonesia's high-ranking officials," Baihaki was quoted by AFP as saying.

"We hope that the (oil) contract can be signed when the Vice President is in Iraq," he said after talks with the Vice President at Merdeka Selatan Palace.

"We would like to buy oil from Iraq under the UN program because we want to buy crude oil from the Basra oil field and refine it in Indonesia," he said.

Iraq signed an agreement with the United Nations on Monday, renewing the oil-for-food program until May 30, 2002.

If previous practice is followed, Iraq will submit a detailed plan later this month for distributing goods imported with UN approval for 10 economic sectors ranging from food and health to oil industry spare parts. (*)