FM Lavrov speaks to Israeli and PA Foreign Ministers – Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry press release/Non-UN document (excerpts)

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov Speaks by Telephone to Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni and Nasser Al Qudwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority

On March 13, telephone conversations between Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, and Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni and Nasser Al Qudwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority, took place at their initiative.

The focus of attention was the situation around Palestinian-Israeli settlement in the context of the formation of a new Palestinian government of the PNA and upcoming elections in Israel. Lavrov affirmed the readiness of Russia, as a member of the Quartet of international mediators and on a bilateral basis, to cooperate energetically with both parties in favor of stabilizing the situation and resuming the peace process in the Middle East. Both Livni and Al-Qudwa voiced interest in Russia playing an active positive role in Middle Eastern affairs.

Taking into account the certain approaches set out by the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs on the issues of Iran's nuclear program, Sergey Lavrov stressed that Russia proceeds from the necessity of continuing politico-diplomatic work with the aim of arriving at a solution which would help, on the one hand, allay the remaining concerns of the international community about Iranian nuclear activities, and on the other – would guarantee Teheran the realization of its lawful right to peaceful utilization of nuclear energy.

March 14, 2006