PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS WAS DUE MONDAY TO MEET RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IN THE BLACK SEA RESORT OF SOCHI FOR TALKS ON THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS AND MOSCOW'S FURTHER FINANCING OF THE PALESTINIANS. THE LEADERS WERE TO DISCUSS THE ROLE OF THE QUARTET OF SETTLEMENT SPONSORS - RUSSIA, THE UNITED STATES, THE EU AND UN - AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROAD MAP PEACE PLAN, KREMLIN OFFICIALS SAID. ABBAS, WHO ARRIVED IN SOCHI SUNDAY EVENING, TOLD RUSSIAN MEDIA THAT THE PEACE PROCESS HAD STALLED BECAUSE OF ISRAELI INTRANSIGENCE, AND CALLED UPON ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD OLMERT TO RESUME TALKS. "THE ISRAELIS DELAY TAKING BOLD DECISIONS, REFUSE TO SIT DOWN AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE," HE TOLD THE IZVESTIA NEWSPAPER. ABBAS APPLAUDED THE PLANS OF THE QUARTET TO SET UP A MECHANISM FOR INTERNATIONAL FINANCING OF HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL PROJECTS IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. "THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD RESOLVING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS THAT FACES OUR PEOPLE," HE SAID. FROM SOCHI, ABBAS WAS DUE TO FLY TO STRASBOURG FOR TALKS WITH THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE. HE WILL ALSO TRAVEL TO BRUSSELS TO ADDRESS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO URGE EUROPE TO IMMEDIATELY RESUME AID TO THE PALESTINIANS. IN A PRE-RECORDED SPEECH BROADCAST IN RAMALLAH ON MONDAY TO MARK THE 58TH ANNIVERSARY OF WHAT PALESTINIANS CALL "THE NAKBA" (CATASTROPHE) - THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL AND THE CONCOMITANT BIRTH OF THE PALESTINIAN DIASPORA - ABBAS CALLED ON ISRAEL TO RESUME PEACE TALKS AND TO TO CEASE SAYING IT HAD NO PALESTINIAN PARTNER FOR PEACE.
