Russia planning 2009 Mideast peace conference

Russia's foreign minister says his country is planning a Mideast peace conference for the first half of this year.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Arab nations and Israel will be invited. He says the conference will be a continuation of U.S.-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks restarted in 2007, and an Arab peace initiative.

Lavrov is visiting Israel. He told Israeli President Shimon Peres on Sunday he hopes the new Israeli government will renew peace talks.

According to a statement, Peres responded, "Our hand will always be extended in peace, but we cannot accept a situation in which rockets are fired at our citizens." That's a reference to Israel's bruising offensive in Gaza last month to stop rocket fire by Palestinian militants.