Russian President Vladimir Putin assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Russia's position on the Palestinian-Israeli settlement does not change, it is based on UN decisions.
"You know, Russia's position on Palestinian problems, on the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, is fundamental. It is based on fundamental decisions of the United Nations and does not change," he said at a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart in Astana on Thursday.
The Russian president stressed that "there are no doubts here." "We have always advocated a fair settlement on an international legal basis. In this sense, you can be sure of our position," he said.
Putin said he was very happy to see his colleague. "We haven't seen you in person for a long time because of pandemic restrictions, but we have always been in contact and talked directly by phone, and our colleagues have met with each other," the Russian leader said, stressing that relations between Russia and Palestine have very deep roots.
The Russian president said that Moscow is watching very closely what is happening in the region. "I am very glad for our meeting and the opportunity to hear your opinion on how you assess the situation," he addressed his interlocutor.
Speaking about bilateral Russian-Palestinian relations, Putin noted that, as it has been repeatedly said, much more needs to be done so that economic ties can develop more actively. According to his estimation, there are all necessary conditions for this. Putin also drew attention to the fact that "humanitarian direction is also quite well represented." He said that 650 Palestinian students are currently studying different disciplines in Russia. Besides, according to the Russian leader, issues of humanitarian nature are being solved.
Before the meeting Putin and Abbas greeted each other very warmly and spoke briefly in English. The politicians did not confine themselves to a protocol handshake and embraced each other cordially as a sign of special affection.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS