Olmert, Now Israeli Caretaker, Will Travel to Moscow

By Jonathan Ferziger

Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who resigned and now serves as government caretaker, will travel to Russia to meet President Dmitry Medvedev.

Olmert will leave Israel Oct. 6 for a two-day visit to Moscow, his office said today in an e-mailed statement.

``The prime minister will meet with the Russian government's top leadership,'' Olmert's office said, without identifying topics of discussion.

Olmert last traveled to Moscow a year ago when he met with Vladimir Putin, the former president and present prime minister, and asked him to support stronger sanctions to stop Iran's development of nuclear capabilities.

Olmert resigned Sept. 21 in the face of police recommendations that he be indicted for bribery and money laundering. He says he is innocent.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni replaced Olmert as Kadima Party leader after winning a Sept. 17 primary and is trying to assemble a governing coalition so she can take the prime minister position.

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz today asked Olmert and his Cabinet ministers to ``act with restraint'' during the time that they constitute a caretaker government. Olmert should refrain from acting on ``issues that are not so urgent that they require being addressed during this transitional period,'' Mazuz said, according to the e-mailed text of a letter he sent to Olmert.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Ferziger in Tel Aviv at jferziger@bloomberg.net