The representatives of Russia, the US, the European Union and the UN discussed the situation in the Middle East, the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Israeli Government’s recent initiative called the “Sharon Plan”.
Based on the results of the discussion, the parties issued a joint statement which stresses, among other things, the importance of the continuation of the Middle East peace process on the basis of the “road map” approved by UN Security Council Resolution 1515. The Quartet members stressed that any unilateral steps towards the demarcation of the Palestinian territory between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority must be within the “road map” which describes such actions in detail.
During his stay in New York, Mr Lavrov also met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the US Secretary of State Colin Powell and discussed Iraq. The Russian side expressed its conviction that an international forum with the participation of all the political forces in Iraq, Iraq’s neighbours and members of the UN Security Council would contribute to an early political settlement in the country and restore Iraq’s sovereignty. Mr Annan and Mr Powell listened to the Russian position with attention and promised to take it into account the next time Iraq is discussed at the UN Security Council.