June 1, 2001	atimes.com

Central Asia/Russia Moscow on new Middle East mission By Sergei Blagov MOSCOW - Despite the traditional support given to its Cold War era Arab allies, in particular to the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Russia has been cautious in seeking to reassert its role as a mediator in the Middle East peace process. "Russia has a unique chance to be included in the Middle East settlement," said Alexey Malashenko of the Carnegie Center, a Moscow-based think tank. "But Moscow does not have a realistic peace plan for the Middle East." Despite being a co-sponsor of the international efforts to secure the Middle East peace settlement, Russia has played a minor part in recent years. Since the latest round of violence erupted between Palestinians and Israelis, there have been signs of renewed Russian interest to reemerge as a Middle East peacemaker. Earlier this week Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched a veteran Middle East negotiator, former prime minister Yevgeny Primakov, to the region. Primakov was sent to deliver Putin's letters to the Jordanian and Syrian leaders, explaining Russia's position in the Middle East peacemaking. Palestinian leader Arafat visited Moscow on May 28-29, to seek a more active Russia mediation role to counterbalance the US peace efforts. In the Kremlin, Arafat received a word of support from Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov who told the Palestinian leader that Russia would back the Egyptian-Jordanian plan, as well as the Mitchell Report, to end the violence there. The joint Egyptian-Jordanian peace initiative and the report by an international commission, led by former US senator George Mitchell, call for an end to construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Ivanov urged the Israeli government to halt building the settlements, describing it as a crucial condition for stopping the violence. After meeting Ivanov, Arafat argued that "urgent international actions are needed to stop the dangerous spiral of violence". While in Moscow, Arafat - seeking more Russian support - tried to play the Russian nationalist card. Meeting with Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexiy II, Arafat claimed that the Israeli army targets "Orthodox cities". The patriarch expressed regret over continued violence in the Holy Land. In the Kremlin, Arafat also met Putin, who emphasized the need to end the suffering of the Palestinian people. It was not the first time that Arafat heard words of muted support in the Kremlin. Last August, Putin told Arafat in Moscow that Russia supports an independent Palestinian state, but suggested further negotiations with Israel on a peace deal. Moscow urged Arafat to exercise caution in proclaiming a Palestinian statehood - expected in September regardless of a final peace deal with Israel. However, Moscow's cautious approach did not work last year. Russian diplomatic efforts to join the Middle East peace process suffered a major blow, when Russia was not invited to attend a summit in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, last October. Despite the setback, Moscow now appears keen to join the Middle East peace marathon. A special Russian envoy for the Middle East will visit the region in early June. Putin and his US counterpart George W Bush are scheduled to discuss the Middle East at their first meeting in Slovenia on June 16. On the other hand, Russia, which is a co-sponsor of the peace process along with the United States, seems determined to restore ties with its traditional Arab allies, listed as "rogue states" by the US administration because of their alleged backing of international terrorism. Last summer, Putin accepted Muammar Gadhafi's invitation to visit Libya and urged the United Nations to lift sanctions against the North African country. Earlier this month Foreign Minister Ivanov hinted that Gadhafi might visit Moscow this summer. Libya is emerging from international isolation since the United Nations suspended sanctions after the North African country handed over two men indicted in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over Scotland. Under former president Mikhail Gorbachev, Moscow backed UN sanctions, but now Russia mulls renewing ties with Libya. Putin's acceptance of Gadhafi's invitation and possible visit to Moscow by the Libyan leader suggest that Moscow is seeking its own independent role in the Middle East, and does not want to merely complement Washington-led peacemaking efforts. "In recent years, Moscow's role in the Middle East peace process have been well below Russia's potential," says Dmitry Mosyakov, senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies in Moscow. But, he adds: "Moscow will be cautious about being directly involved in mediation, because the Kremlin realises the immense challenges in the Middle East peace settlement." (Inter Press Service)

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