MOSCOW, FEBRUARY 9, RIA NOVOSTI - Russia's target in the Middle East is to speed up peaceful settlement. The Russian foreign ministry's spokesman Alexandre Yakovenko said so to RIA Novosti when commenting on Israeli Vice-Premier Ehud Olmert's visit to Russia over February 11-13.
Mideastern settlement is to be high on the agenda during the forthcoming Moscow talks.
Russia like the international community at large is concerned over the continued Palestinian-Israeli tensions, said Yakovenko. In the opinion of Moscow, the persisting violent confrontation can in the final analysis put up insurmountable obstacles on the way of settlement.
A political settlement in the Middle East can be promoted by the implementation of "The Road Map", a peace plan designed by the four international intermediaries (Russia, the USA, the EU and the UNO).
