PRIMAKOV CALLS ON ISRAEL TO STICK TO ROADMAP

MOSCOW, April 16 (RIA Novosti) - Yevgeny Primakov, head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, calls on Israel to stick to the Roadmap peace plan. He said this at a meeting with Nabil Shaat, Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, reports the Chamber's press service.

He said that Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip should be organically linked to the initiative of the Quartet (the European Union, Russia, the United States, and the United Nations) fixed in the Roadmap. "Without such linkage Israel's unilateral actions may lead not to forward movement but a roll-back from a possible agreement with Palestine," Primakov believes.

They also discussed an outlook for the development of bilateral economic relations. The sides stressed that, after the establishment of the Palestinian state, contacts between Russian and Palestinian businessmen will have a special importance.

"They will certainly open up broad opportunities for postwar development of Palestine," the meeting participants believe.

Primakov received with gratitude Shaat's invitation to visit Ramallah at any time he finds fit.

The Primakov-Shaat meeting was held at the latter's request.