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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, September 29, 2002

Israel's Sharon Heads for Russia

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sets out on a two-day visit to Russia on Sunday with a full agenda of issues to discuss, from the Mideast conflict to trade.


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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sets out on a two-day visit to Russia on Sunday with a full agenda of issues to discuss, from the Mideast conflict to trade.

But Israeli legislators representing the country's one million Russian-speaking immigrants say Sharon's trip is also about capturing their votes in elections which could take place in January.

Roman Bronfman, of the left-leaning Democratic Choice, said Sharon is following a tradition set by other politicians before him, seeking to be photographed and videotaped with world leaders.

"Six months before elections, the traveling starts," he said.

Sharon has said that if he fails to win parliamentary approval for a contentious austerity budget due to be put to the vote on Oct. 30, elections will be held 90 days thereafter, at the end of January rather than the November 2003 date now set. Political commentators have predicted delays in the budget vote.

Sharon, born in British-ruled Palestine of Russian stock, last visited Moscow a year ago.

Immigrants from the former Soviet Union make up one sixth of Israel's population of six million and their votes can spell victory or defeat on election day.

On this trip Sharon will meet President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II and local Jewish leaders, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv said.

A Russian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the political meetings would probably focus on the two-year-old Israel-Palestinian conflict, the prospects of U.S. intervention in Iraq and the revival of a dormant bilateral committee on economic and commercial relations.

Source: Agencies








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