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Putin Meets Israeli FM on Middle East Violence
Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday told visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres that his country will make efforts to stop "the spiraling violence" and resume negotiations in the Middle East peace process.
During Putin's two-hour talks with Peres held in the Kremlin, the two sides devoted much to the escalating Middle East crisis, said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov after the close-door meeting, which he also attended.
Ivanov said Russia is ready "to do anything to stop the violence and resume the negotiating process," adding that both Putin and Peres appreciated the significance of a report prepared by a U.S. Senate commission led by George Mitchell.
After highly praising Peres' personal contribution to the promotion of peace in the Middle East, Putin asked the top Israeli diplomat to convey his condolences and sympathies to Israeli families that lost their loved ones in the latest violence.
Peres said he was pleasantly surprised by Putin's willingness to look for common ground with other countries to avoid snags in the way of the Middle East peace process.
He described Putin's approach to Middle East problems as very realistic and honest, saying the clock of the Middle East peace process is going again.
The two sides also paid much attention to bilateral relations, noting such relations have reached a new level characterized by stronger mutual trust, said Ivanov.
"A great step forward" has been made in relations between Russia and Israel in a short time, in terms of both general and business relations, Putin said.
"We surpassed the threshold of one billion dollars" in trade turnover, the president said.
Recalling that a fourth of Israel's population speaks Russian, regards it as home country with warm feelings, Peres said he can see bright prospects for relations between the two countries. He also mentioned that Putin's foreign policy met Israel's expectation.
Before his meeting with Putin, Peres also held talks with his Russian counterpart Ivanov on Middle East situation and bilateral relations.
Ivanov said Russia does not intend to propose any "magical formulas" for the Middle East problem.
Russia is ready to back any initiatives accepted by Israel and Palestine to end violence and resume the negotiating process, Ivanov said.
Russia "will continue to follow a policy of the development of balanced links with all Middle Eastern countries and contribute to the settlement of a stable peace in the region," he added.
Peres in turn said he shared Ivanov's viewpoints on Russian- Israeli relations and on the role Russia can play in the peace process in the Middle East.
Peres said he was sure that, despite all the difficulties, the Middle East peace process is still alive. There is no alternative other than negotiations for both Israelis and Palestinians, he added.
Peres arrived here Sunday for a two-day visit amid deteriorating Middle East situation caused by Israel's on-going missile attacks against Palestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza.
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