Moscow, Nov 04: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to add the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Palestinian movements to Russia's list of "terrorist" organisations, an Israeli official has said. "It is important that Russia adds the Palestinian terrorist organisations and the Hezbollah to its list of terrorist organisations," the official said yesterday.

"We are not certain that Russia's anti-terrorist policies are applied with as much firmness as necessary in the Middle East," said the official, who asked to remain anonymous.

"The fight against terrorism must be international and we have asked the Russians to reconsider their position of refusing to add to their list of terrorist organisations those which are not active on their territory." Sharon met Putin in the Kremlin on Monday on a three-day visit that Israeli officials said was aimed in part at forcing Moscow to admit that the so-called "roadmap" for peace that Russia has been pushing was in doubt and that new solutions were needed to the conflict.

Another Israeli official earlier said that Sharon hoped for a "strengthening of the cooperation against Islamic terrorism that is ravaging the two countries."

"We must not forget that Chechen terrorists have links and contacts in the Middle East, in particular with the al-Qaeda network and Iran," the official said. Bureau Report