Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrapped up his three-day Mideast tour on Saturday by receiving skepticism from Israel about a Middle East peace conference in Moscow while finding echoes from Syria and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
To seek a role of Mideast mediator, the Russian top diplomat has visited Syria, Israel and the West Bank since Wednesday, aiming at promoting a follow-up Middle East conference to the U.S.-hosted Annapolis gathering where Israel and the Palestinians agreed to resume peace talks.
According to Russia's RIA news agency, Russia has discussed the convening of the meeting with the Palestinians, Israel, countries involved in mediating the conflict and members of the Arab League.
However, Lavrov's promotion had an encounter with Israeli skepticism as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told him on Thursday evening that there was no point in holding another Middle East peace conference after Lavrov presented the idea of holding the follow-up gathering later this year in Moscow.
Olmert said the utility of such meeting needs to be examined first. "At this time, there is no reason for another conference."
During his stay in Syria on Thursday, Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem in Damascus that Moscow was preparing to host a Middle East peace conference.
"We have not sent invitations. We are studying the positions of prospective delegates and we will make a decision soon," he said, stressing that the international peace conference in Moscow will also attempt to restart peace talks between Israel and Syria on the occupied Golan Heights.
"There is a priority to the Palestinian track, but at the same time, we agree on the need to achieve a comprehensive settlement and resume negotiations on all tracks," he said.
His remarks found echo from his Syrian counterpart as Muallem said Damascus would attend the Moscow meeting, adding that "Syria cannot be absent from a major meeting that would discuss the Golan."
Muallem renewed Syria's readiness to resume negotiations because "Syria sees that peace should be fair and comprehensive on all tracks."
Peace talks between arch-foe Syria and Israel foundered in 2000over the fate of the strategic Golan Heights, which was occupied by the Jewish state in the 1967 Middle East war.
But, Syrian peace overtures have been met with distrust on the part of Israeli officials, Israeli President Shimon Peres told Lavrov during their meeting Thursday evening, expressing Israeli skepticism ahead of Moscow peace conference.
Likewise, Lavrov received a favorable response from the Palestinian side during his visit in the West Bank on Friday.
At a press conference in Ramallah following a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lavrov was quoted by Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth as saying that Russia viewed the success of the peace conference as important and would do anything for its success, as well as aiding the Palestinian side.
"We shall also work to speed up the international community's efforts in order to implement what was agreed upon in Annapolis," he added.
Abbas, for his part, said that it was necessary to hold a peace conference on the Middle East in Moscow as soon as possible, stressing that "the peace process needs a complete calm and an end of all settlement activities in the Palestinian territories."
"We ask Mr. Lavrov to talk about the calm and ending settlements with other parties," Abbas said.
"Mr. Lavrov's visit is part of bilateral relations and part of Russia's role to push forward the peace process," he added.
According to Lavrov, during his meetings with Abbas and Olmert, he noted his determination to continue the peace negotiations and to try and reach understandings on the outlines of the peace agreement before the end of 2008.
He reiterated Russia's objection to Israel's policy on settlement and called for an immediate halt to settlement activity, saying that his country was "very much worried" about Israeli construction on land that the Palestinians claim for a future state.
Lavrov didn't set a date for the conference in Moscow, but he said that Russia was cooperating with the international Quartet members and some Arab countries to prepare for the conference.
Russia is one of the four-party Quartet, which also includes the U.S., the UN and the EU. The Quartet has been a major mediator over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
"Russia still support the peace process and will offer all possible help to the Palestinian side and will cooperate with other parties to implement what had been agreed upon in Annapolis," said Lavrov.
The Palestinian-Israeli peace talks were resumed last December following a U.S.-hosted peace conference in Annapolis. But so far it had produced no significant result.
It is unlikely to make such a peace conference possible without Israel's agreement to take part in, according to local observers.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article