BAGHDAD, Iraq – President Saddam Hussein met with a Russian special envoy to discuss boosting bilateral relations, the official Iraqi News Agency reported.

Nikolai Kartuzov delivered a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin that expressed the president's wish to increase relations with Iraq, the agency said. The letter also reaffirmed Russian efforts to lift the sanctions imposed on Iraq.

Saddam told Kartuzov that Iraq has always wanted to build strong ties with Russia, and expressed his support of Russia's efforts to establish a balanced world.

Kartuzov arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday and met with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz. The two discussed the United Nations debate over restarting weapons inspections in Iraq, INA said.

Kartuzov reportedly delivered a letter from Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to Aziz that dealt with the U.N. Security Council discussions. The council is trying to break a nearly 18-month-old deadlock on resuming the inspections.

The five permanent council members – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia – agree there is a need to resume weapons monitoring in Iraq and to improve living conditions for the 22 million Iraqi people. However, they disagree on the criteria and time frame for suspending the sanctions, which were imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.

"Aziz affirmed during the meeting with the Russian envoy Iraq's rejection of any resolution which does not meet its demand for the total lifting of sanctions," INA reported.

U.N. weapons inspectors pulled out of Iraq in December 1999 ahead of U.S. and British airstrikes. Iraq has barred them from returning.