MOSCOW, April 15 (RIA Novosti) - The initiative of Sharon for force withdrawal from the Gaza strip is not something new, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after a meeting with representatives of the State Duma (the lower chamber of Russian parliament).
"The withdrawal of the Israeli troops from the Gaza strip is a step in the same direction as indicated by the Roadmap", he said.
This step can be useful "on the condition that it is not the last step", he said.
Lavrov noted that Sharon's initiative should be linked to the participation of the United Nations in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.
