Russia considers it necessary to intensify the work of the "Quartet" of international mediators (Russia, USA, UN, EU) to establish direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's speech for the UN Security Council members' videoconference reads. The text of the speech at the meeting was delivered by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Vershinin.
"We believe that the Quartet should act with more urgency. This is a unique mechanism for mediation that was approved in UN Security Council resolutions. It can and must play the role assigned to it in developing direct Palestinian-Israeli talks", Lavrov speech's reads.
The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry reminded about Russia's proposal to start the first phase of such negotiations without preconditions so that the parties themselves could agree on an acceptable basis for the dialogue. "For our part, we will continue working towards this objective with all the interested regional parties, at the UN Security Council and within the framework of the Middle East Quartet of international intermediaries. We are resolved to work closely with our colleagues in this format: the UN, the United States and the EU. We would welcome regional parties to join in these efforts as well," the text says.
Lavrov noted that in the process of settlement much will also depend on the results of inter-Palestinian dialogue. "Russia and its Egyptian partners are helping the Palestinian organisations unite on the Palestinian Liberation Organisation platform. This is a crucial condition for the attainment of the Palestinians’ national aspirations based on the UN-approved proposals of the Middle East Quartet of intermediaries," the document emphasizes.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS