Russian President's Special Representative for the Middle East and African countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov discussed at a meeting with members of the Politburo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Maher Taher and Aref Arfan the prospects of restoring Palestinian national unity and confirmed the readiness of the Russian side to organize another pan-Palestinian meeting.
"During the conversation, there was a detailed discussion of the prospects for restoring Palestinian national unity on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Smolensk Square added that the Russian side expressed support for the agreement reached between the main Palestinian political forces on holding elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Palestinian president and the Palestinian National Council. "At the same time, the Russian ministry confirmed its readiness in principle to assist Palestinian unification efforts by organizing another all-Palestinian meeting in Moscow," the ministry said.
On January 15, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas set the date for the elections. According to his decree, general elections in the Palestinian territories must be held in three stages. Elections of deputies of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC, unicameral parliament) will be held on May 22, and the elections of the head of state - on July 31. According to Abbas' decree, the successful holding of parliamentary elections will be the first stage in forming the Palestinian National Council, which is considered the supreme body of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Its formation should be completed by August 31.
Elections have not been held in the Palestinian territories since 2006, although both the presidential mandate and the powers of the PLC members have formally expired.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS