Palestinians stayed away from Arab-Israeli peace talks again Wednesday, but other parties agreed to hold a series of meetings this spring in cities around the world on issues ranging from refugees to arms control.

Despite the Palestinian boycott, the two-day Moscow conference represents a symbolic leap forward for the U.S.-brokered peace process that began with a ceremonial Madrid conference in October.Negotiators described Wednesday's working group meetings on regional issues as businesslike and rhetoric-free and said they would tackle the subjects again at the end of April or beginning of May after the Jewish Passover and Muslim Ramadan holidays.

The negotiators said they would likely discuss the issue of refugees at a meeting in Canada, economic cooperation at a meeting in Belgium, arms control in the United States, the environment in Japan and water in Turkey or Austria.

Before the conference ends Wednesday night, delegations will report to a steering committee for approval of what they decided. That committee, whose leaders include the United States, Russia and Japan, will report to a final session of lower-level ministers.

Later in the day, Secretary of State James A. Baker III held an unscheduled meeting with the Palestinian delegation's spokeswoman, Hanan Ashrawi, a U.S. Embassy official said on condition of anonymity. He gave no further details.

The Palestinians stayed away from the day's talks after seeking to broaden their representation by bringing in delegates from Jerusalem and countries beyond Israeli rule.

The American and Russian co-sponsors have backed up Israel's insistence that only delegates from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip may take part.

"There were lots of contacts yesterday, but the situation has not changed," said Palestinian delegate Saeb Erakat. "They have not accepted our delegation, and we are not going to the talks."

The Palestinians also boycotted Tuesday's opening session.

The talks have brought Israelis together with a broad cross-section of the Arab world, as well as Japan, the European Community and other countries that can contribute to rebuilding the war-torn Middle East.

Two dozen nations were attending, although Lebanon and Syria chose not to.

Baker on Tuesday stressed that one way of ending decades of mistrust is to address such regional problems as water shortages, pollution and refugees.

The Middle East peoples "breathe the same air, drink the same water, are vulnerable to the same diseases and have all suffered from the very tragic costs of war," he said in his opening speech.

The five working groups meeting Wednesday were each dealing with separate issues and each was being led by a Western nation.

Japan heads the environment group, Canada the refugee committee, the EC the economic cooperation group, and the United States the water resources group and the committee on disarmament and regional security.

Yehoyada Haim, Israel's chief delegate to the refugees committee, said he was so pleased with the atmosphere at his session that he put aside his prepared remarks.

"After everyone else had spoken I told them I was scrapping my speech because the atmosphere is excellent, so informal, so businesslike," he said.

He added that at the meeting the European Community representative called for the inclusion of the United Nations as well as Palestinians who do not live under Israeli occupation on the refugees committee.

Baker has acknowledged there is merit in including such Palestinians, since the committee concerns those who lost their homes when Israel became a state.

David Sultan, an Israeli delegate to the water committee, also called the talks businesslike.

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(Additional information)

India establishes ties with Israel

India announced Wednesday it is establishing full relations with Israel, reversing a 40-year policy of diplomatic exclusion of the Jewish state.

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After Israel instituted diplomatic ties with China Saturday, India had been the largest and most powerful country still withholding full relations.

Foreign Minister J.N. Dixit said the upgrading of relations to allow the exchange of ambassadors took effect immediately.

Israel has a consulate in Bombay, India's commercial center, but India has had no representative in Israel.

Until now, India linked relations with Israel to a solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and Israel's withdrawal from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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