Russia, Israel Agree on Need for Anti-Terror Coalition
September 7, 2004
While showing willingness to work with Israel against militants, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any counter-terrorism alliance would have to include Arab countries - in a nod to Russia's traditional allies in the region.
"We appreciate the very strong readiness of the Israeli people to help Russia at this hour and this will certainly strengthen the counter terrorist coalition these days," Lavrov said."We certainly are taking into account the need to be more effective," he told reporters during a visit to President Moshe Katsav.
In a meeting with Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres, Lavrov said terrorism is one of the biggest challenges facing the international community.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in a telephone call to Russian President Vlafimir Putin on Sunday, proposed expanded intelligence coordination between the two countries.
However, Lavrov was careful to point out that Israel was one of several Middle Eastern countries with which Russia coordinated on security issues, including Saudi Arabia, Syria and other Arab states.
"Terrorism doesn't have any nationalities," he said. "I believe the key to the solution of the problem is to bring all countries to fight terror and I can assure you that in addition to our very close counterterrorist cooperation with Israel we have similar counterterrorist cooperation with Arab countries."
News of the hostage-taking at the school in southern Russia, in which more than 350 were killed - nearly half of them children - resonated in Israel, where about one million people, or one-sixth of the population, immigrated from the former Soviet Union.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on U.S. targets, the Israeli government has portrayed its own battle with Palestinian militants as part of a larger global war against terrorism. Palestinians say attacks by militants on Israeli civilians should be seen in the context of Israel's 37-year occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Lavrov arrived Sunday evening from Egypt for a one-day visit to Israel, part of a Mideast tour that will also take in Lebanon and Syria. Later Monday he was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.
Israeli government officials said Lavrov's visit was set up long before the latest wave of militant violence in Russia. But following the school siege, a suicide bombing and the Aug. 24 bombing of two Russian passenger planes, the subject of a combined international counterterrorist offensive moved to the top of the agenda, they said.
About 450 people have been killed in Russia over the past two weeks in violence that appears to be tied to Russia's conflict in Chechnya. Some Russian and Israeli officials, however, have linked the attacks to the broader phenomenon of Islamic militancy.
Israeli officials said they would voice concerns to Lavrov about Syria's support for Palestinian militants.
Israel has accused Syria of involvement in a suicide bombing last week that killed 16 people in the Israeli city of Beersheba. Lavrov heads for the Syrian capital Monday evening.
SOURCE: News Max