Russia aims to host Mideast peace meet by end year

By Oleg Shchedrov and Cynthia Johnston

CAIRO (Reuters) - The Russian president said in Cairo on Tuesday that Moscow aimed to hold a Middle East peace conference before the end of 2009, a move backed by Egypt and which Russia said also had Israel's approval.

Russia, which has proposed such a conference in the past, is a member of the Quartet of Middle East negotiators, along with the European Union, the United States and the United Nations.

"We paid special attention to Middle East issues. We highly appreciate efforts by the Egyptian president to create an atmosphere of trust and cooperation in the region," Dmitry Medvedev said after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

"(The) Moscow Middle East conference, which we plan to hold before the end of the year, will also contribute to achieving this goal," he said at a joint news conference in Cairo.

Mubarak, speaking after the two sides signed cooperation agreements, said Egypt backed the conference in Moscow.

Israeli spokesman Yigal Palmor said Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently told Russia that Israel "would, in principle, agree to attend, provided, of course, that anti-peace elements such as Hamas and Hezbollah are not invited".

Moscow is the only Quartet member talking to Hamas, the group that controls Gaza but which is snubbed by Israel and the West. Russia also has good contacts with Israel.

"We have ensured agreement from all countries including the new Israeli government (for the Moscow conference)," Medvedev said later in the day at the Cairo-based Arab League.