IN RELATION TO THE TERRORIST ACT COMMITTED IN THE ISRAELI CITY OF NETANYA

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

According to reports, a terrorist act was carried out on March 30 in the Israeli city of Netanya, seriously injuring dozens of people. The radical organization Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the attack.

Russia does not accept violent actions of this kind, by whatever motives they may be dictated, and expresses sympathy to the innocent civilians who became victims of this terrorist act. The action had obviously been planned to further add to tensions in the region and to scuttle the efforts directed to a search of schemes for getting the situation back on the political track and to renewing the Middle East peace process on the basis of implementation of the Road Map, elaborated by the Quartet of international mediators.

Moscow expresses hope that the PNA leadership will take all measures in its power to put an end to any terrorist manifestations and that the government of Israel will refrain from military actions which can aggravate the situation around the Palestinian territories.

March 31, 2003