Moscow is surprised by Israel's aggravated reaction to the issues raised in the Jerusalem Post interview of Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov, his statements on the Middle East issues are consistent with Russia's position, according to a comment by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the Russian ambassador was summoned to the diplomatic office after an interview with the Jerusalem Post newspaper, which reported that it is not Iran but the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict that destabilizes the region.
"We are surprised by the exacerbated reaction to the issues raised in the interview by our ambassador to Israel. We have repeatedly conveyed our position to our Israeli colleagues at various levels. All the statements of the Russian ambassador reproduced in the publication are in line with Russia's well-known position on the Middle East issues," she said.
In this regard, Zakharova noted that Russia assesses the normalization of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors as an opportunity to establish new channels of civilized contacts, based on international legal norms. According to her, Moscow believes that continuing confrontation and refusal of dialogue only complicates solutions for settling the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Russian side has always emphasized that the Palestinian issue has always been and remains central for peace in the Middle East. Without solving it, it's impossible to achieve sustainable and long-term stabilization in the region.
At the same time, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Russia has never concealed its negative attitude towards Israeli airstrikes on the territory of Syria, as such actions contribute to destabilization in the region.
"We confirm our interest in continuing regular consultations with Israeli partners on security and stability in the Middle East region. We appreciate the trusting and constructive dialogue that has developed between us. We are determined to continue, as our ambassador to Israel noted in the above interview, to take Israel's security concerns into account in our decision-making," Zakharova added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from RIA Novosti