Lavrov to discuss Israeli-Palestinian settlement with Organization of Islamic Cooperation

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will discuss the prospects of Israeli-Palestinian settlement with the delegation of the ministerial contact group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Palestine and East Jerusalem on Thursday. The delegation is headed by Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki will also participate in the talks. "The situation on the Palestinian track of the Middle Eastern settlement, the state of affairs on Palestinian territories, as well as in Jerusalem, a sacred city for followers of three monotheistic religions" will be on the agenda, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Last year proved unsuccessful for getting the relations between Israel and Palestine out of deadlock. In April, direct dialogue between the two sides was suspended, bringing no results after nine months of negotiations. The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that after suspension of talks, "the situation in Palestine considerably deteriorated." In July, Israel launched Operation Protective Edge aimed at destroying the military potential of HAMAS in response to rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. Military actions in the region resulted in the deaths of 70 Israelis and more than 2,000 Palestinians, as well as "enormous damages in the Palestinian enclave," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "In autumn last year, the number of provocative actions of religious extremists in East Jerusalem, attacks on peaceful citizens and acts of vandalism has grown," the ministry noted. Moscow also drew attention to the "illegal Israeli practice of settlements construction." "In this respect, the Russian side intends to emphasize the inadmissibility of provocative actions in the Holy City [Jerusalem] and in all Palestine, the necessity of calming the situation on the Palestinian-Israeli track and its return to the politically negotiable track," the ministry said. At the meeting, Russia will confirm its principal position "in favor of a comprehensive fair decision of the Palestinian problem on the basis of international law." "Moscow supports the lawful aspirations of the people of Palestine to create an independent, viable, territorially integral Palestinian state with the capital in East Jerusalem, which will co-exist in peace and safety with its neighbors," the Russian Foreign Ministry concluded. Read more