 RUSSIA IN FACTS |
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Top Russian diplomat says no alternative to "road map" peace plan
Beirut, 18 January: The state of affairs in the Middle East at present gives rise to much concern, Aleksandr
Saltanov, Russian deputy foreign affairs minister, told a Novosti correspondent in an exclusive interview in Beirut on
Sunday [18 January].
"The 'road map' - the most rational plan to achieve a settlement on the Palestinian-Israeli track, and
in effect one to which there is no alternative - is not being implemented," the Russian diplomat said at the end of
his visit to Lebanon.
To make things worse, Syrian-Israeli negotiations have been frozen for a long time. And the fact is that serious
problems also persist in the resolution of the Iraq issue.
"All this cannot but adversely affect the situation and is not conducive to greater security as a whole,"
Aleksandr Saltanov believes.
"It is now important", he went on to say, "for the international community to get actively involved so
as to end the stalemate in the process of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations." "And it is the
'quartet' of international mediators", he added, "that has to take the lead. This is a finely tuned
mechanism that enables Russia, the USA, the EU and the UN, as the international community's most eminent
representatives, to have a positive influence on the sides to the conflict."
"Clearly, the Palestinians and Israelis themselves must take reciprocal action so as to put an end to violence
and resume dialogue," the Russian diplomat said. "They must certainly put aside the differences that exist,
and act to comply with the commitments that follow from the 'road map' as a document in international law
approved by the UN Security Council."
"We are closely watching developments in the Syria-Lebanon-Israel triangle," Aleksandr Saltanov said.
"It is important here for those most immediately concerned to refrain from steps which could cause the tension to
escalate."
The Beirut talks with Lebanese President Emile Lahhud and acting Foreign Minister Michel Samahah, who is also
minister of information, show that the "Lebanese leadership is determined to prevent destabilization", the
highly placed Russian diplomat commented. There is also positive potential in Damascus's proposals for negotiations
to be resumed on the Syrian-Israeli track, he said.
"It would only be right to take advantage of this signal, for dialogue to be resumed on this track. It is
obvious that it is dialogue, rather than threats and pressure, that is the way forward towards stabilization,"
Aleksandr Saltanov said in conclusion.
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