Putin urges more effective Middle East mediation

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the Quartet of international mediators for the Middle East on Thursday to work more effectively in resolving the conflict in the region.

Russia is a member of the Quartet, which also includes the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

Speaking after talks at the Kremlin with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Putin also called on Egypt and other regional heavyweights to join the Quartet's efforts.

"We share the belief that the international mediators in the Middle East settlement must work more effectively and the Quartet will only benefit if influential regional forces, including Egypt of course, join this work," Putin was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

"We believe the Egyptian leadership could play a greater role in establishing contacts between Palestine and Israel and in attaining much needed accord in the Palestinian ranks," Putin said.

The Russian leader said his talks with Mubarak also touched on the situation in Iraq, Iran's nuclear program, the situation surrounding Syria and Lebanon and the Darfur conflict in Sudan.

Mubarak, who visited Russia in May 2004 and hosted Putin last April, said Moscow and Cairo shared the same positions on ways to revive the Middle East peace process and resume the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue.

Russia and Egypt could "jointly open the way towards a Middle East settlement," he said.

Mubarak, who arrived in Moscow Wednesday for a three-day visit, also met with Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov to discuss expanding economic and trade ties.

The Egyptian leader is currently on a three-nation tour that will also take him to China and Kazakhstan.

Source: Xinhua