The Hindu : Ivanov defies Israel, meets Arafat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 14, 2003

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International

Ivanov defies Israel, meets Arafat

Ramallah July 13. The Russian Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, held talks with the Palestinian Authority Chairman, Yasser Arafat, here today, snubbing calls by Israel to boycott the veteran leader.

Mr. Ivanov said that Russia, one of the four co-sponsors of the road map for peace, wanted to see the Palestinians and Israel fulfil the commitments laid down in the plan which aims to form a Palestinian state by 2005.

``We call on both sides to implement obligations in the roadmap which will lead to a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel,'' Mr. Ivanov told reporters after the meeting.

Mr. Arafat thanked Russia for its support and repeated calls for observers to be sent to the region. ``We need to speed up the process of sending international observers in order to implement the roadmap,'' he said. The meeting came amid a campaign by the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to persuade foreign Governments to boycott Mr. Arafat, accusing him of undermining the Prime Minister, Mahmud Abbas.

AFP

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