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Russia's Putin to visit Palestinian territories
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-06 16:40

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the Palestinian territories during a visit to Israel planned for the end of the month, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"Yes, (Putin) will go to Israel and to the Palestinian territories," said Lavrov, responding to questions at a joint news conference with the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

No details were announced on the side trip to the Palestinian territories.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko walk with Putin's dog Conny in the southern Russian city of Sochi, April 4, 2005. Vladimir Putin will visit the Palestinian territories during a visit to Israel planned for the end of the month, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. [Reuters]

Putin's April 27-28 trip to Israel was announced in late March and will be the first by a Russian president to the Jewish state.

During the trip, Putin is to meet with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and the moderate new Palestinian leadership which has emerged since Yasser Arafat's death.

Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmud Abbas visited Russia in February on his first major foreign tour after being elected Arafat's successor.

Moscow is one of the four sponsors of the Middle East peace roadmap plan, which has sought to create a Palestinian state by 2005 but has made next to no progress since its launch.

Sharon has made three official visits to Russia, with the most recent in November 2003.

Before being elected president of Russia, Putin visited the Jewish state in 1996 and 1997.

Relations between the two countries have been strained recently over Moscow's decision to sell missiles to Syria.

Israel and Washington have expressed disquiet about the planned sale, fearing the weapons could end up in the hands of Lebanon's Damascus-backed Hezbollah Shiite militia.

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