Russian Foreign Ministry advocates more active efforts to overcome Mideastern crisis

The UN Security Council is not prepared to pass a resolution in connection with that aggravated Palestinian-Israeli stand-off; this confirms the need to exert more active efforts for the sake of coping with the present-day crisis. This was disclosed here today by the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Alexander Yakovenko.

We continue to elaborate a common political platform making it possible for the concerned parties to unfailingly fulfil their road-map commitments, as well as those stemming from other previous accords, Yakovenko noted.

In his opinion, the forthcoming conference of four international mediators in New York (at foreign-minister level) will have great importance in this context.

Speaking of the draft resolution, which was voted some time ago, we suggested that that the sides' positions be merged still further within the UNSC framework, Yakovenko stressed. We believe there was no need to vote this document posthaste, also the more so as it contained no provisions running counter to our position; Russia supported the resolution, the high-ranking diplomat went on to say.

On September 16 the United States vetoed the UNSC resolution, which demanded that the Government of Israel renounce its intention to deport Yasser Arafat from Palestinian territory.

11 out of the UNSC's 15 members supported the Syrian draft document, which was submitted on behalf of the Arab League. Meanwhile Great Britain, Germany and Bulgaria abstained.

The United States explained its decision by the fact that the draft document's final version didn't resolutely condemn terrorist acts, which were perpetrated by Palestinian groups.