RUSSIA: MOSCOW: MIDDLE EAST PEACE SETTLEMENT TALKS

(2 Dec 1999) Hebrew/Russian Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy spent Thursday in Moscow in talks mostly concerned with the Middle East peace settlement. Levy met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. Putin announced at the beginning of his meeting with Levy that Russian forces had secured the release of an Israeli hostage who was being held in Chechnya. He also said Russian forces were making every effort to secure the safe release of five other Israelis being held. Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy held talks with his Russian counterpart at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow on Thursday. Igor Ivanov was updated on the latest in the Middle East peace process. The talks were also aimed at developing bilateral relations between the two nations. At a photo opportunity before discussions with Levy, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced an Israeli kidnapped in Chechnya had been released. He said security forces were working on the release of five other Israeli captives. Reporters were only allowed to listen to the first few minutes of the talks between Putin and Levy and there were no other details on the freed Israeli citizen or the others still in captivity. Criminal gangs in Chechnya and neighbouring regions have turned kidnapping into a thriving business. The Russian government says hundreds of Russians and dozens of foreigners are still held in the breakaway republic. During the talks with Levy, Putin also hailed progress in the Mideast peace process and added that relations between Russia and Israel were progressing well. After the talks, Ivanov praised the atmosphere of respect and trust in relations between the two countries. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) "We consider Russo-Israeli bilateral relations are developing and progressing steadily but of course there is still potential for those relations to improve." SUPER CAPTION: Igor Ivanov, Russian Foreign Minister Levy said the Middle East peace process still needed a willingness to compromise on both sides to move forward. SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew) "We are sure, considering that Israel has demonstrated its readiness to achieve a compromise and the other side, the Palestinian side, understands that the entrance into a compromise is obligatory for a final settlement. Without a compromise, the future progress in this situation will be almost impossible." SUPER CAPTION: David Levy, Israeli Foreign Minister Putin said Moscow was particularly interested how the Middle East settlement affected Palestine and Syria. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...