Special Representative of the Russian Foreign Minister for the Middle East settlement Vladimir Safronkov discussed with representatives of Israel, Switzerland, the EU and the UN ways to facilitate the negotiation process between the Palestinians and the Israelis, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Safronkov held telephone conversations with Alon Ushpiz, Director-General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Roland Steininger, Special Envoy of the Swiss Foreign Ministry for the MES, Susanna Terstal, EU Special Representative for the Middle East peace process, and Nikolai Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process.
"The parties discussed possible ways to facilitate the resumption of the negotiation process between the Palestinians and the Israelis in order to resolve a set of fundamental problems of the final status," the statement reads.
The Russian side stressed the need to refrain from unilateral steps, as well as the importance of establishing an effective work of the "Quartet" of international mediators on the Middle East with the participation of Russia, the United States, the UN and the EU as a unique mediation mechanism approved by UN Security Council resolutions, the Ministry added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Li Muzi \ Zuma \ TASS