MOSCOW, Aug. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an order allowing arms sales to the Iraqi interim government and the US-led multinational forces.

    The order, published Monday on the presidential website, says that the previous arms embargo on Iraq established by various UN resolutions should not be applicable to "armaments and property" needed by the Iraqi interim government and the multinational forces after the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1546.

    The ban on arms sales was imposed on Iraq in 1991 by the UnitedNations when Iraqi troops occupied Kuwait.

    In 1996, Iraq was allowed to export oil under UN control and use the proceeds to purchase food and consumer goods.

    Resolution 1546, unanimously approved in June to endorse the provisional Iraqi government, sets forth a timetable for the country's transition to democracy and authorizes the multinationalforce to remain there maintaining security.

    Russia, strongly against the US-led war in Iraq, has refused tosend peacekeeping troops to the country and been striving for greater economic benefits in the post-war reconstruction. Enditem