Lavrov on the situation in the Mid East, Iraq
Russia has called for finding a just solution to the Middle East issue and resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations as stated by Roadmap plan worked out by the Quartet.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergy Lavrov said Thursday night that the legal basis of the Middle East peace process should be embodied by the UN Security Council resolutions, Madrid Conference term of reference, the land-for-peace principle and the Arab initiative peace endorsed by Beirut Summit 2002.
Lavrov was speaking to his Asian counterparts attending a conference in the Kazakh capital of Almaty on cooperation and confidence building measure in the Asian continent.
On Iraq, the Russian official said his country was willing to participate in the ministerial meeting due in Cairo in November. He pointed out that priority at this stage should be given to the issue of participation of all political forces in Iraq and holding general democratic elections as well as reaching a national consensus.
Mr. Lavrov highlighted the idea of holding an international conference on Iraq with the participation of the country's neighbors along with the UN Security Council member states, the Cairo-based Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference ( OIC).
