RUSSIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SERGEY LAVROV MEETS WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SILVAN SHALOM

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

On November 23 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov stayed on a working visit to Israel. He had conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom, which focused mainly on the situation in the Middle East.

Lavrov stressed that a real chance now exists to get the Israeli-Palestinian settlement process out of the impasse. There was noted the significance of holding a full-scale election for Head of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), that will help the new Palestinian leadership to receive a mandate from the people for democratic reforms and a determined struggle against terror. In this connection the minister particularly emphasized the importance of rendering by Israel necessary assistance to the Palestinian elections and carrying out the appropriate steps, inter alia the pullout of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities, a reduction of the number of check posts, the release of a part of the political prisoners and provision of proper conditions for the vote, including for the residents of East Jerusalem. Lavrov informed his Israeli interlocutors of the outcome of the ministerial meeting of the Quartet of international mediators at Sharm El Sheikh on November 23, with emphasis on the readiness of Russia and the other Quartet participants to organize international monitoring of the elections on January 9, 2005, in the PNA areas. The minister emphasized the significance of a coordinated with the Palestinians withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip and a part of the West Bank in the context of the implementation of the Road Map for Middle Eastern settlement.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pointed out the readiness of the Israeli government to create favorable conditions for the vote of the Palestinians, reaffirmed Israel's commitment to its obligations under the Road Map, and noted the importance of Russia's active role in the efforts to establish an enduring peace in the Middle East.

In the course of the conversation the sides considered the prospects for Russian-Israeli relations and reconfirmed their shared desire to build up multifaceted cooperation and fill it with new qualitative content in the interest of the peoples of the two countries and for the sake of establishing stability and calm in the region.

November 24, 2004