Russian, Egyptian FMs plan Mideast conference in Moscow

MOSCOW, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit are planning to hold a Middle East peace conference in Moscow, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Wednesday.

"The ministers underscored the importance of collective support for the Palestine-Israeli negotiations and discussed prospects for holding in Moscow a conference that would explore ways of achieving Middle East settlement," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Egyptian foreign minister arrived in Moscow with a delegation accompanying Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on his official visit.

The two ministers discussed further steps to restore stability in Gaza, the lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip and improvement in inter-Palestinian relations, said the ministry.

The two sides reiterated their determination to continue intensive coordination of efforts on the above mentioned problems and to create conditions for a comprehensive Middle East settlement, said the statement.

The two ministers also exchanged views on other key regional issues, including the situation in Lebanon, Iraq and Sudan, it added.