Putin to make historic visit to Israel

jerusalem (ap) | Russian President Vladimir Putin is to make a historic visit to Israel at the end of April as a guest of the Israeli president, Israeli officials said this week, marking the first visit by a Russian or Soviet leader to Israel.

Putin will arrive in Israel on April 27 for a two-day visit, said Ron Ben-Yishai, an aide to Israeli President Moshe Katsav. Kremlin officials could not confirm the plan.

Putin is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other senior Israeli officials to discuss advancing Middle East peace talks, Ben-Yishai said. Katsav, who holds a largely ceremonial position, will host a state banquet for Putin.

Russia is a member of the "quartet" of international mediators for the Middle East peacemaking, along with the United States, the United Nations and the European Union. The quartet sponsored the 2003 "road map" peace plan, a three-stage program for creating a Palestinian state. Neither Israel nor the Palestinians carried out the initial requirements, and the plan has stalled.