Kremlin: Putin, Abbas To Meet In Moscow

[Purveyor]

MOSCOW, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia's outgoing President Vladimir Putin will meet with his Palestine counterpart Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in Moscow, the Kremlin press service said on Tuesday.

Abbas started on Monday a three-nation tour which will take him to Jordan, Russia and the United States for talks on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the tour aimed to rally supports for a truce between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and end an Israel blockade imposed on the territory.

Israel imposed a strict blockade on the Gaza Strip and considered it a hostile entity after Hamas militants routed President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces and took control of the vicinity in mid-June last year.

---EOE---

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/15/content_7981609.htm