Moscow's position on the settlement of the Palestinian problem remains unchanged: it must be resolved in accordance with the approaches of the UN Security Council and taking into account the interests of all residents of the region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Sochi on Tuesday.
"The position of the Russian Federation on the Palestinian direction, on the settlement of the Palestinian problem remains unchanged. The Palestinian problem must be resolved in accordance with earlier decisions taken at the level of the United Nations Security Council, on a fair basis that takes into account the interests of all the people who live in the region, on the basis of two independent states," Putin stressed.
He assured that work in this direction will proceed, "no matter how difficult it may be." "I think that during today's meeting, distinguished Mr. President, you and I will exchange more information about what is happening now, what the current situation is at the moment, and together we will think about what can be done to move forward," the Russian President addressed his vis-a-vis, adding that he was very happy about his visit. Abbas had previously visited Russia 19 times as head of Palestine. Traditionally, the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was among the main topics of his meetings with the Russian president.
Putin said he considered it important to exchange views on the situation in the Palestinian track and the Middle East in general.
"Dear Mr. President, I am very glad to see you. We should certainly meet regularly, maintain our relations. It is very important to exchange the current, topical situation on how the situation is developing in the Middle East in general and in the Palestinian track in particular," Putin said, addressing the Palestinian leader.
The Russian President thanked Abbas for accepting the invitation to visit Russia. "We understand the situation in which we all live, including the Palestinian people today. In addition to the pressure from outside, in addition to the tense situation in the region, with its neighbors, the coronavirus infection is also contributing to the situation," Putin said.
The last direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians to resolve the decades-long conflict ended in failure in April 2014. The 2010 diplomatic round that preceded this attempt to revive the peace process also did not lead to any progress. There have been no settlement talks between the parties to the conflict since 2014.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS