Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to visit Russia in mid-April, Russia's news agency Interfax reported Monday.

"Abbas will visit Moscow on April 17-19," Interfax quoted Abbas' adviser Nabil Shaath citing as saying.

"Abbas plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President-elect Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov," said Shaath, who arrived in Moscow Monday to pave the way for Abbas' visit.

The majority of the official meetings will take place on April 18, he added.

Abbas announced his decision to visit Moscow after the talks with Lavrov in Ramallah, West Bank, on March 21.

Lavrov visited Ramallah as part of his Middle East tour.

Abbas' visit to Moscow will focus on a Palestinian-Israeli settlement, the suggested Middle East peace conference in Moscow as well as Russian-Arab and Russian-Palestinian relations.

(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2008)