Israeli Premier Confirmed His Intention to Start Implementing Road Map Scheme

Israel is ready to start serious talks with Palestine to stop intifada, Ariel Sharon, Israel's Prime Minister, said at a press conference of the Likud party late on Tuesday. The point is that Israel is ready to adopt the Road Map scheme, worked out by the four intermediaries on the Mideastern settlement: Russia, the US, the UN and the European Union.

The main principle that Israel's approach to the Road Map is based on is to ensure security of the Jewish state, first of all to define the way to fight international terrorism, Ariel Sharon added.

The toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime resulted in new prospects of a peace treaty between Israel and Palestine, and these opportunities should be be lost, the Prime Minister stressed.

However, Israel has a number of amendments to make in the Road Map plan, the official added. First of all, these are concerned with the stages of implementation. Israel's another serious condition is that the Palestinians must drop the claim to resume their former borders, which may be unacceptable for the Arabs.