New Delhi: Russia on May 1 welcomed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's peace initiative and expressed support for all the steps taken to achieve political stability in the region.

This was conveyed by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov when his Indian counterpart Yashwant Sinha had a 15 minute conversation, during which they shared the developments of the last few days in the light of Vajpayee's statement in Srinagar and subsequent ones in Parliament, including the one made on May 2.

During the 15-minute conversation, Ivanov warmly welcomed Prime Minister's statement, External Affairs Ministry spokesman said.

The two leaders also briefly discussed bilateral relations. Sinha is slated to visit Moscow in the middle of this month ahead of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit to Russia this month-end.

As part of his ongoing contacts with his counterparts from various countries, Sinha is also speaking to the French Foreign Minister.

PTI