Vladimir Putin said that Russia was committed to continue taking an active part in the process of the Middle East settlement.
He also stressed that Russia was keeping a close watch on how Russian countrymen were settling down in Israel as recent events in the Middle East gave some cause for concern.
Vladimir Putin said that it had been decided to open an exposition devoted to the Holocaust at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and sought Ariel Sharon’s political support in organising joint work of specialists from the two countries.
The President noted that meetings with Ariel Sharon were taking place every year, which was bringing positive results in the political and economic spheres. Trade between Russia and Israel now stands at $1 billion compared with a mere $12 million in the early 1990s.
The Israeli Prime Minister invited Vladimir Putin to visit Israel. He stressed that Israel took very seriously the relations with Russia, one of the key players in the international arena.