Category Nation/CIS
Source RosBusinessConsulting

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon in New York. Putin said Russia would support the peace process in the Middle East, and was open to cooperate with all interested parties, including Palestine.

Sharon accepted the invitation, noting that he had not been to Russia for quite a while, and would be happy to see Putin and the country again. Shifting to Russian, the Israeli leader, who is interested in farming and cattle breeding, added jokingly “I am more interested to see cows than people.”

Putin expressed hope that Israel’s pullout from Gaza and the West Bank would help settle the conflict in the region. He also said Russia would support the UN resolution in the memory of Holocaust victims.

Before talking to Putin, the Israeli premier had met with U.S. President George Bush at the UN World summit in New York. Sharon said Washington realized that peace talks with Palestine could not resume until extremist groups were disarmed. Now that Israel has withdrawn from Gaza, Palestinian authorities could demonstrate their ability to control the situation, Sharon said.

The UN World summit continues in New York. On Wednesday when the summit opened, its agenda was dominated by fighting against terrorism. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stressed that terrorism could not be justified. George Bush said improving economic conditions and democracy would promote stability.