RAMALLAH, West Bank - President Vladimir Putin arrived in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Friday for the first visit by a Russian leader to the Palestinian territories.
Putin was greeted by an honour guard and embraced by Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at his compound.
The Russian leader then laid a wreath at the tomb of veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died in November, before entering private talks with Abbas.
The summit comes less than three months after the two leaders met in Moscow.
Russia is, along with the United States, European Union and United Nations, one of the four sponsors of the roadmap peace plan, a phased blueprint which targets the creation of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.
04/29/2005 08:32 GMT