Russian Anti-terror Initiative in line with Mubarak's Initiative
Regional-Russia, Politics, 11/22/2001

Russia said on Wednesday that its initiative, recently presented to the United Nations, does not duplicate with President Hosni Mubarak's initiative on holding an anti-terror global conference.

Russian Ambassador Andrey Denisov told the Middle East News Agency (MENA): "President Mubarak's proposal to convene a world conference against terrorism is one of the most serious and important initiatives of such kind".

All the proposals floated by the world leaders on fighting terrorism are strongly inter-connected and "the United Nations, as a leading international body, can combine all the proposals and make some practical arrangements," Ambassador Denisov said.

He expounded that the goal of the Russian anti-terror initiative, plus another proposal on fighting nuclear terrorism, is "to form some sort of political and legal base for the international efforts to combat terrorism" agreed upon by all UN member-states.

Speaking of the Russian role in bringing stability to Afghanistan, Ambassador Denisov said: "Russia will not send any military personnel to Afghanistan, even peacekeepers, the idea of peacekeepers is a controversial idea".

"Russia sees that the United Nations must play a role in Afghanistan to help the afghan people arrange political settlement and to organise all humanitarian assistance,"' he said.

"But as far as peacekeepers are concerned, we're not convinced that it's necessary, let's help the Afghan people to solve their problems by themselves because any military presence in Afghanistan will remind the people of foreign occupation and they do not like it."

But the Russian Ambassador said that Russia, as well as all Afghanistan neighbors, had to help bring stability to Afghanistan.

He said Russia has been cooperating with the northern alliance forces and President Rabbani.

Russia also has sent a mission from the Foreign and Emergency ministries to Afghanistan for political consultations and sending humanitarian aid.

Ambassador Danisov said that Putin-Bush summit and stepping up Russia-US relations will not negatively affect Arab- Russian relations, but on the contrary with the cooperation of the European Union and UN, this will accelerate a solution to the Palestinian "just" cause.

Russian policies are not based on emotions but based on (UN Security Council) resolutions 242 and 338 and Madrid principles, he added.

On whether there are new Russian -American ideas on Middle East peace, Danisov said: "All initiatives... are public.

All the cards are open on the table. there is no secret card up the sleeve... we must step by step, word by word, try to persuade both parties, Israelis and palestinians to stop violence, to withdraw troops, to normalize social and economic situation and to re-start peace talks"

The only thing we can do now is to stop violence and start the implementation of the Mitchell plan, he added.

On the Russian support as regards founding a Palestinian State in return for giving Israel guarantees for its safety by Arabs, he stressed: "Definitely, because Russia was among the first who acknowledged that the Palestinian people must have their own state. that is a firm position.

"In recent days, we saw more and more countries show their support to a Palestinian State and that is a positive sign," he said.

A region of peace and stability... must see two independent states very tightly connected to each other because Palestine cannot survive without strong economic cooperation with Israel and vice versa Israel cannot survive without strong economic cooperation with Palestinians and other Arab countries surrounding Israel because Israel is just like an island in this predominantly Arab region.

Previous Stories:
  Arab League for a Russian role in the ME   (10/30/2001)
  Russian envoy to visit the ME   (10/20/2001)
  Russia takes tough measures in granting visas to Arabs   (10/19/2001)

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