Russian Foreign Minister's Special Representative For Mideastern Settlement Supports Permanent Contacts With Israeli, Palestinian Leaders

Russia as a co-sponsor of the peace process "proceeds with its active efforts" to stop the Israeli-Palestinian military conflict and to resume the political dialogue, the press and information department of the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Therefore Andrei Vdovin, the Foreign Minister's Special Representative for Mideastern settlement, has been on a mediation mission to the region for a week or so, the press service said. The aim of the mission is "to make the Palestinians and Israelis take effective counter actions on the basis of the Mitchell-Tenet plan in order to stop violence, to stabilize the situation and to resume negotiations," the press service stated. The Russian diplomat is closely cooperating with US Envoy Anthony Zinni and EU and UN representatives Miguel Moratinos and Terje Larsen.