World Notes: Middle East

Even without Palestinian participation, last week's 26-nation conference on Middle East regional issues made progress at its opening session in Moscow. ! Israel counted it a diplomatic victory simply to sit at the negotiating table with 11 Arab countries, including Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The European Community, Japan, China and Canada were also represented in the Russian capital.

Because they agreed to get down to specific business in April or May, all the participants could claim some success. Negotiators will then gather as working groups in five countries to discuss Middle East refugee problems, economic cooperation, arms control, protection of the environment and the use of water resources.

The Palestinians boycotted the two-day meeting because Russia and the U.S. backed Israel's refusal to admit representatives from outside the occupied West Bank and Gaza. But the absent Palestinians may have scored a small success. U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and senior Russian officials said they would favor allowing Palestinians from outside the occupied territories to join the working groups on some regional issues, such as refugees and economic cooperation.