VOL. XXXVII

NO. 8

22-NOVEMBER-1993

Iraq

Venezuela Appoints Ambassador To Baghdad

Venezuela appointed last week Mr. Ernesto Velasco Rojas as ambassador toBaghdad. He is the first western envoy sent to Iraq since the Gulf war. Mr.Rojas told reporters in Baghdad on 12 November that he would focus his work onthe oil relations between the two countries. "I am here to defend theinterests of my country, Iraq and OPEC," he said. Both the US and Kuwaitprotested to Caracas over the appointment.