Russian Officials Hold Talks With ArafatPalestinian leader Yasser Arafat conferred Tuesday with top Russian officials, who have signaled Moscow's desire to shift diplomatic efforts in the Middle East from shuttle diplomacy to an international conference."Russia has always stood for a peaceful settlement and the establishment of a stable and just peace in the Middle East," Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said at the beginning of his talks with Arafat. Ivanov said Monday that shuttle diplomacy by U.S. seemed to be yielding few results. He issued a new call for an international conference to persuade Israel and the Palestinians to refrain from violence and resume peace talks. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat arrived in Moscow early Tuesday for talks with Russian officials on ways to seek a solution to months of violence between Israel and Palestinians. |
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