RUSSIA: The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, began a three-day visit to Russia yesterday. His main concerns are Russia's nuclear ties with Iran, and persuading Moscow to drop its plan to turn the internationally-backed road map for Middle East peace into a UN Security Council resolution.
Mr Sharon, who meets President Vladimir Putin today, is likely to ask the Russian leader to cease further transfers of nuclear equipment to Iran which could help it develop nuclear weapons.
Iran has agreed to inspections of its nuclear programme and pledged to cease the production of enriched uranium, but Israel fears Tehran will continue its drive to attain nuclear weapons by covert means.
The head of Israeli military intelligence told a parliamentary committee last week that, unless checked, Iran would have a self-sufficient nuclear weapons programme by summer 2004.
Mr Sharon also wants to persuade Mr Putin to drop his plans for fear a Security Council resolution would grant the UN powers to oversee implementation of the moribund road map.
Israel views the UN as a hostile body. It wants monitoring of the road map to remain in the hands of its principal ally, the US. In recent months, the Americans have used their veto on several occasions to block Security Council resolutions critical of Israel.
Russia has been critical of Israel's policy of isolating the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, and of the fence Israel is building in the West Bank.
Across Israel, meanwhile, motorists waited yesterday in long lines at petrol stations after the Histadrut Labour Federation halted supplies of fuel ahead of a nation-wide strike set to begin this morning, if trade union and government leaders fail to reach a last-minute compromise.
The federation has threatened to paralyse the country's economy in protest at government-led pension reform and plans for further public sector layoffs.
If the strike goes ahead, it will affect international flights, ports, public transport, health services, banks, and electricity and water supplies.