PM SHARON SPEAKS WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Tuesday, 22 June, 2004

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday evening (Monday), 21.6.04, spoke with
Russian President Vladimir Putin and congratulated him on last week's
Russian national holiday. Prime Minister Sharon updated Russian President
Putin on the details of the disengagement plan and the steps that Israel is
taking to implement it. Prime Minister Sharon said that Yasser Arafat is an
obstacle to peace and added that any contact with him works against the
possibility of reaching a regional settlement.

Russian President Putin noted that the disengagement plan had won wide
support and added that this found expression in the recent G-8 statement
( www.g8usa.gov/d_061004b.htm ). Russian President Putin said that
Russia was prepared to contribute in order to advance the process and added
that to this end, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would soon visit
the region.

Prime Minister Sharon invited Russian President Putin to visit Israel; the
latter said that he would be pleased to do so in the near future.