Sergei Lavrov met with Amr Moussa in Moscow to discuss the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. Russia is one of the four mediators in the Middle East peace talks, and the Cairo-based Arab League involves the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Liberation Organization as one of its 22 members.
"I think a [collective] approach can best be realized through an international conference," Lavrov said following the talks, and added that the conference should highlight both the Palestine-Israeli conflict and the Syrian-Lebanese situation.
Lebanon, which is divided between the largely pro-Syrian Muslim Shia majority led by the Islamist group Hezbollah, and the Christian minority opposed to Syrian influence, emerged from a 15-year civil war in 1990.
Last summer the country was also devastated by Israeli air strikes during the Israeli campaign against Hezbollah, and later in the year Hezbollah-inspired mass rallies swept the country, demanding the government's resignation.
Russia has played a prominent role in the Middle East peace negotiations through the Quartet of mediators, which also comprises the United States, the EU and the UN. The Russian minister said Moscow once again urged the other nations of the region, the Arab League and the conflicting sides themselves to join the mediation work of the Quartet.
"I am convinced that at this crucial stage, when the situation in the region has escalated, our contacts and agreements will be very welcome in the region and the international community as a whole," Lavrov said in a reference to the Arab League.
The four Middle East negotiators met last week in Washington amid fears of a possible civil war in the Palestinian Authority after a surge in violence between supporters of the ruling Islamist group Hamas and the pro-president opposition Fatah.
Leaders of Hamas and Fatah are expected to meet later Tuesday in Islam's holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia in a bid to end fighting and reach a compromise on forming a unity government coalition.
Russia's foreign minister said he hoped the talks between the two rival Palestinian factions in Mecca would help overcome the current standoff.
"We are unanimous that it is necessary to support the Palestinian nation's efforts toward reaching national accord and forming a unity government," Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also moved on to condemn an archeological excavation near Islam's second-oldest mosque, Al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem's Old City, as a provocation.
"Any provocation against religious shrines is inadmissible, especially given Jerusalem's special status," Lavrov said.
Palestinians are protesting the dig, and Palestinian leaders have warned of a possible repeat of the 2000 uprising, known as the Intifada, which erupted when the leader of the right-wing Israeli Likud party, Ariel Sharon, visited the mosque in defiance of popular feelings.
Amr Moussa, in turn, praised Russia's efforts to resolve the situation in the Middle East.
"We welcome the policy pursued by Russia and President Putin personally," he said. "Such a position is highly appreciated by Arab nations."
Iraq
Russia's foreign minister said the current crisis in another Middle East nation, Iraq, could only be addressed through combined international efforts.
"We are convinced that efforts should be combined to overcome negative trends in Iraq, which is of great concern to us," Lavrov said.
"Measures are required to promote national reconciliation with the involvement of all Arab political forces, and with the support of all neighbors of Iraq, regional organizations, the Arab League and the UN," he said.
Amr Moussa took over and urged political forces in Iraq to end violence. "I condemn the brutalities and the war in Iraq," he said. "I call on all forces in Iraq to stem the bloodshed and stop the deaths."
