No military solution for conflict in Middle East - Russian lawmaker

MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. The conflict in the Middle East "cannot have a military solution," Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee head Konstantin Kosachev said on Friday at a meeting with Commissioner General for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Pierre Krahenbuhl. "Russia thinks that the conflict in the Middle East cannot have a military solution in principle," Kosachev said. "We are convinced that while final political solutions are not yet found, unilateral military actions are impermissible," he stressed. The lawmaker noted that this concerns both Israel’s attempts "to take part of the Gaza Strip into its legal field" and the attempts of radical forces in Palestine "to spread fear among the people in Israel." Kosachev noted that political contacts should be maintained will all sides in the conflict. Modern Russia "does not repeat the mistakes of the Cold War and Soviet times" in the issue of settling the Middle Eastern conflict. "We are neutral in the Middle Eastern peace process, and we support the process, not separate sides in this process," the lawmaker stressed. He noted that the US that plays an important role in the Middle East unfortunately continues to support only Israel. Kosachev also expressed concern with the fact that the issue of peaceful settlement has recently lost its positive dynamics, mainly because "there are too many sides inside and outside." Read more