Resume peace talks, Putin tells Sharon

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, SEPT. 4. Russia has urged Israel to resume peace talks with Palestinians.

The Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, told the visiting Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon, in the Kremlin on Tuesday that it was ``essential to start building mutual confidence measures in order to sideline forces interested in wrecking the process of political settlement.''

Russia's Foreign Minister, Mr. Igor Ivanov, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said that Russia was in favour of peace talks on the basis of the internationally- approved peace plan drafted by the former U.S. Senator, Mr. George Mitchell. Mr. Ivanov said the main task now was ``not proposing new initiatives, but implementing ones that already exist.''

Mr. Putin resisted Mr. Sharon's efforts to sway Moscow in support of Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians. The Russian President made it clear Russia would continue to maintain an even-handed approach to the West Asia crisis.

``There can be no justification to terrorist acts against civilians,'' Mr. Putin told Mr. Sharon in the Kremlin on Tuesday. Russia was ``alarmed'' by violence in West Asia, ``all the more so since a large part of Israel's population come from the former Soviet Union and Russia.''

``At the same time we have traditionally good relations with the Arab world, including the Palestinian Authority,'' the Russian leader said. ``It is a very good basis for Russia to make a weighty contribution to the course of settlement.''

The Israeli leader arrived in Moscow on Monday for a three-day working visit. A Palestinian delegation is also to visit Moscow for talks later this week.

Moscow reassured Israel that it was not helping Iran and Iraq to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Mr. Sharon's visit was to coincide with the arrival in Moscow of Iran's Defence Minister, Mr. Ali Shamkhani, for talks on defence cooperation. However, Mr. Shamkhani at the last minute postponed the visit indefinitely ``to foil the Zionist regime's negative propaganda purposes from the simultaneous trip to Moscow by the Zionist regime's Prime Minister'', the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

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Section  : International
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