Russia ready to help Israel to resolve West Asia crisis

Moscow, Oct 18 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin today said Russia was ready to provide all help to Israel to resolve the West Asia crisis.

''Russia will do all in its power to help bring about a resolution to the West Asia conflict,'' Mr Putin said at the start of the talks with the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Mr Olmert, who arrived here yesterday on an official visit, said Russia was playing an important role in the world, and its influence will help restore global stability and resolve the Iranian nuclear problem.

President Putin praised ''the new quality'' of cooperation between Russia and Israel and highlighted the growth of bilateral trade, which is expected to reach 2 billion dollar.

''We maintain contacts on political issues and expanding relations in such a sensitive field as military and technical cooperation, including in third-country markets," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Putin as saying.

Before the talks, a senior Kremlin official told Itar-Tass news agency that during their talks, Mr Putin and Mr Olmert will focus on the situation in the West Asia.

''The talks will be oriented toward a search for the ways of resuming the dialogue on the key aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, with an emphasis on implementation of the Road Map peace plan provisions, which is an internationally acknowledged legal basis of the settlement, envisioning the solution of all the existing disputed issues through negotiations," the official noted.

''The Kremlin believes that the only possible way out of the vicious circle of violence is to resume the peace process in line with international legal principles, aimed at attaining a comprehensive settlement in West Asia, free the hostages, stop mutual accusations and complaints, prevent fatalities among the civilians on both sides and the destruction of infrastructure, and stop fanning emotions,'' he said.

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