MOSCOW (EJP)---Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged countries set to take part in a Mideast peace conference in Moscow to agree on a timetable for the meeting as soon as possible, the Russian RIA Novosti agency reported.
Russia, which is a member of the Quartet of Middle East mediators, has offered to host a conference in Moscow as a follow up to last November's US-sponsored gathering in Annapolis.
"We will be able to set a timetable only when it will satisfy all the participants, primarily the Palestinians and the Israelis," Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow.
He said Russia is ready to host the conference in the nearest future and has had the backing of the EU, the UN and the United States.
But Israel has expressed doubts over the necessity of a Middle East peace conference in Moscow, citing a standing agreement between the Israeli and Palestinian sides to maintain strictly bilateral dialogue to protect them from unwanted outside interference.
"We will certainly not force anybody to act against their will, but we think that delaying this process is rather unreasonable," Lavrov said.
Israel’s ambassador to Russia, Anna Azari, said that her country was skeptical that direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians would be possible during the proposed Moscow Mideast peace conference.
"We view the past meeting in Annapolis and the future conference in Moscow as support for a Mideast settlement rather than a forum where we could hold negotiations with Palestinians," she said.
