OREANDA-NEWS. December 21, 2009. The President’s message said, in part: “I am pleased to see that our multifaceted dialogue is showing strong and steady development. The Strategic Partnership Agreement we signed in Cairo on June 23, 2009, lays a solid foundation for joint efforts that will enable us not only to achieve results in areas of political, trade and economic cooperation that we have already developed, but will also lead to big projects in promising new areas.”

The message addressed the situation in the region, in particular the prospects for a peace settlement in the Middle East. “I believe that the quartet of international mediators, interested regional parties and the entire international community need to make vigorous joint efforts to restart the peace process,” Mr Medvedev said. “For this to be successful, it is essential that both the Palestinians and Israelis strictly observe the provisions of the Road Map for Peace and renounce unilateral action.”

“I believe it is also important now to bring about the rapid restoration of Palestinian unity on the basis of the PLO platform and the Arab peace initiative,” the President said. “I wish the efforts your country and you personally are taking in this direction success.”

Mr Medvedev stressed how “absolutely vital it is to establish throughout the Middle East a zone free of all types of weapons of mass destruction and the means of their delivery.” “I know of the active and involved stand you take on this issue, and I am sure that our joint efforts will enable us to turn your initiatives into reality,” the President said. 

The message was delivered to Mr Mubarak by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is visiting Cairo.