Military

DATE=10/16/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=RUSSIA / MIDEAST (L ONLY)

BYLINE=LARRY JAMES

DATELINE=MOSCOW

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow wants to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. But as Larry James reports from Moscow, it now seems clear that Russia will not be taking an active part in efforts to save the peace process.

TEXT: Mr. Putin said Russia stands ready to take part in the peace process but only if its participation will be considered useful by Israel and the Palestinians.

/// PUTIN ACT IN RUSSIAN ///

The Russian leader said his government remains in constant telephone contact with all the parties to the conflict. He said he appreciates how difficult the situation is and he praised President Clinton for taking what he called very courageous steps to try to resolve the crisis. He made his remarks in the southern Russian resort town of Sochi where he is on a brief vacation.

Over the weekend the foreign ministry issued a statement saying Russia was ready to take part in the summit. But on Monday Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said an invitation never came.

/// IVANOV ACT IN RUSSIAN ///

Like the Russian president, Mr. Ivanov stressed that what is important for Russia is not the format of the summit but the results. If the results are positive, he said, Russia will welcome them.

Russia, a co-sponsor of the peace process, has had little to do with recent peace efforts. Some analysts here are suggesting it has not been for lack of trying. They say the cool reception Moscow received to its offer to help is another somewhat embarrassing indication of the Kremlin's waning influence in the global arena.

Yevgeny Volk, director of the Heritage Foundation in Moscow, calls it quite a blow to Mr. Putin's prestige and evidence that the Kremlin is wrong if it believes it still has a vital role to play in world affairs.

/// VOLK ACT ///

Realistically speaking that's not the case. Russia no longer has this leverage to exercise influence in the areas where new actors appeared after the Cold War and new trends are developing.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Volk says the rebuff of the Kremlin offer to help is only the latest case where Russian attempts at intervention in a crisis were publicly ignored.

/// VOLK ACT IN ENGLISH ///

It's once again a question of prestige. You remember that two weeks ago Russia suffered a major set back in Yugoslav crisis when no one, neither Milosevic neither Kostunica actually wanted to have Russia as intermediary in their conflict.

/// END ACT ///

Not everyone agrees with Mr. Volk's assessment of Moscow's diminished role. There were press reports over the weekend that the reason Russia would be absent from the talks was because Moscow was insulted that only its foreign minister and not its president had been invited.

NEB/LDJ/KL/KBK