RUSSIAN PEACE INITIATIVE IN MIDDLE EAST CREATES MOVEMENT

The Portuguese press again highlights Russia’s peace initiative in the Middle East, this time in the “Diario de Noticias”, which states that following President Vladimir Putin’s initiative, real movement and progress has been achieved, with contacts being made by all sides at different levels. After a visit from Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Mubarak has received Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s security advisor, Danny Yatom, while in Vienna, in the sidelines of the OSCE conference, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has met US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, informing her of Moscow’s proposals for the Middle East. Finally, it is reported that the Israeli foreign minister, Shlomo Ben-Ami is to visit Moscow for talks later this week. Moscow’s world standing is greatly enhanced with this initiative, part of a general trend which proves that Russia is again a key player on the world diplomatic stage.

Timothy Basncroft-Hinchey Pravda.Ru Lisbon