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Kremlin Balanced Iran by Israel
Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived in Moscow yesterday on an abrupt blitz-visit. Officially, the prime concern of Olmert here was to talk over the prepared summit of Palestine and Israel that would be held in the U.S. Annapolis. In reality, however, exactly Iran was the highlight of Olmert's intercourse with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
The Moscow visit of Olmert lasted for just a few hours. It was rather the tête-à-tête get-together of two leaders than a visit paid to some country, said a source from Jerusalem.
Once in Moscow, the Israel’s PM was driven to the Kremlin at once. The leaders shook hands and Olmert asked Russia’s president if it had been very hard for him there. The implication was evident – Israel’s prime minister referred to the recent tour of Putin to Iran. Putin evaded the question, of course, but the true reason of Olmert’s tour to Moscow was clear at once.
Putin said he knew of Israel’s concern about the nuclear program of Iran and was ready to share results of his trip to Tehran. Olmert welcomed the suggestion and the parties withdrew for a private talk.
Of interest is that no more than a day passed from announcing the trip of Israel’s prime minister to Moscow and the actual meeting of Olmert and Putin, which is by far not the common practice in interstate relations. By strange coincidence, Putin and Olmert shook hands just in two days after Russia’s president shook hands with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the arch-enemies of Israel.
The visit of Israel’s PM to Moscow had been actually agreed on October 10, during the telephone conversation of two leaders. But the information was a top secret until very recently, as Moscow avoided advertising the mini-summit not to cloud Putin’s visit to Tehran.
By hosting Ehud Olmert, the Kremlin attempts to balance Putin’s tour to Iran, Zvi Magen, Israel’s former ambassador to Russia, speculated about the true motive of Moscow.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 19, 2007
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