Putin visits Ramullah, Abbas started to implement obligations over truce
Palestine-Russia, Politics, 4/30/2005

Upon his arrival in Ramullah on Friday morning, the Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the tomb of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and laid a wreath on his tomb in a visit which is the highest of its kind to Arafat's tomb since his death and for the West Bank since the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada since four and a half years.

The Russian foreign minister Segy Lavrov said that Putin would discuss with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who was on top of Palestinians welcomed him, means of supporting the Palestinians to enhance the security forces.

News reports in Ramullah said that Putin will give to the Palestinians 50 armored vehicles, two helicopters to transport the security forces which were greatly damaged during the Palestinian Intifada.

The Palestinian deputy prime minister Nabil Shaath said that coordination will be made to this effect with the Israeli government because it controls the Palestinian borders. On Thursday Israel opposed the Russian gift.

Putin whose visit to the region aims at reviving Moscow's influence during the cold war era in the Middle East stressed on Thursday during his visit to Israel that he sill considers that it is still possible to establish peace in the Middle East, adding this could be made by the commitment of the two sides of the conflict to their political obligations. He renewed his country's vow to give all possible support to end the political conflict in the Middle East.

The Russian President tried to show sympathy for the Israeli side by visiting the "wailing wall" (al-Buraq wall) in Jerusalem upon his arrival in Israel. He also visited what is called the monument of the victims of the holocaust.

However, the Israelis deliberately ignored the proposal made by Putin during his visit to Egypt over convening an international peace conference in Moscow. Lavrov tried to lessen the consequences of the Israeli reaction, stressing that Putin had intended by the idea of the conference to convene a conference at the experts level.

Previous Stories:
  Putin's visit to Israel, Palestine   (4/27/2005)
  Russian concerns over Israeli settlements   (3/26/2005)
  Vidovin and peace in the ME   (9/15/2003)

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