Russia has proposed that the United Nations Security Council make its first visit to the Middle East in more than three decades, to help restart stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The Russian representative to the U.N., Vitaly Churkin, said yesterday he made the proposal during consultations late last week. Churkin said, the 15-nation Council should also aim to visit Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. He said the Security Council could boost international efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with its first trip to the region since 1979. Russia is one of five permanent, veto-wielding Council members, along with the United States, Britain, China and France. It also belongs to the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers, which includes the U.S., the U.N. and the European Union.