International discussion call over Middle East and Iraq

President Vladimir Putin and Arab League chief Amr Moussa today called for an international conference on the Iraq conflict and the Middle East, according to reports.

Moussa, meanwhile, gave passing criticism to the United States, as he praised Moscow’s involvement in complicated Mideast diplomacy days ahead of an unprecedented trip to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar by the Russian leader.

“We highly appreciate Russian policies in the Middle East, policies of other countries have not been that successful. An understanding of the region’s realities distinguishes Russia policies,” Moussa told Putin during a Kremlin meeting.

“Today we have no problems with any Arab country as compared with the previous decade – no ideological, no economic, no problems of any kind,” Putin said.

Earlier, RIA-Novosti and Interfax cited Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying Putin and Moussa expressed support for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“I think a (collective) approach can best be realised through an international conference,” Lavrov was quoted as saying.