Russia sends deputy foreign minister to Middle East for talks
18/07/2006 14:06 MOSCOW, July 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov will leave Wednesday for the Middle East in the wake of the escalating Israeli-Lebanese conflict, the ministry said.
Israel launched a military operation in Lebanon after the Hizbollah Islamist group took two Israeli soldiers hostage. Over 200 Lebanese civilians have since been killed in fighting.
"Meetings with the authorities of regional countries will mainly focus on identifying possible ways to stop the bloodshed and violence, prevent a further escalation of tensions between Israel and Lebanon, as well as between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and to redirect current events toward a political and diplomatic resolution," the ministry said in a statement.
Russia has already evacuated most of its citizens from Palestinian territory and has been working on the evacuation of Russians from Lebanon.
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