Ivanov Urges Israel, Palestine, Un To Curb Extremists

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has urged Palestine and Israel, on the one hand, and the world community, on the other, to do everything possible to curb extremist groups and organisations which, by committing acts of terrorism, hamper any improvement in the region. Igor Ivanov has reiterated his appeal at a press-conference in Bucharest, the venue of an OSCE foreign minister summit. Russia, said Igor Ivanov, is very much concerned over another wave of violence in the Middle East where the crisis has reached a very high level. "It has become a rule that any, even minimal progress toward dialogue, is immediately followed by acts of terrorism disrupting enormous efforts to attain mideastern settlement, said the minister. In his opinion, task No.1 today is to curb terrorists.