MOSCOW, January 7 (RIA Novosti) - The serious condition of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his probable departure from the political landscape is unlikely to hold back the Middle East peace process, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Russian parliament's upper house said Saturday.
"Progress along the roadmap, which has been accepted by the international community, toward the creation of an independent Palestinian state through the stage of temporary borders, will clearly continue," Mikhail Margelov said.
"Whether Sharon's Kadima party receives a third of votes in the parliament or not, the government will have to consider the situation in Israeli society, which is far from ready for new dramatic changes," he said.
Margelov also said the peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict largely depended on the Palestinian National Authority's readiness to reach serious and responsible political agreements, rather than on the efforts of the "quartet" or other external forces.
Sharon, 77, was hospitalized on January 5 after a major stroke. The following day, he was transferred to an intensive care unit and remains in a coma after three brain operations.
The prime minister underwent another brain scan Saturday.
The chief doctor of the clinic said that despite the significant improvement Sharon's condition remained critical but stable.
