Senior Russian diplomat, Palestinian ambassador discuss rising regional tensions

MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/. Russia’s Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Palestine’s Ambassador to Moscow Abdel Hafez Nofal have discussed the situation in Palestine in the wake of Washington’s decision on Jerusalem, as well as issues concerning the Palestine-Israel conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. "There was a thorough discussion of the situation on the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, in the wake of rising tensions fueled by the decision on Jerusalem, which was made by the US administration on December 6, 2017," the statement reads. "Special attention was paid to pressing issues related to the Palestine-Israel settlement and ways to restore Palestinian unity, particularly in light of Russia’s efforts to facilitate the process," the Russian Foreign Ministry added. The parities expressed "mutual determination to maintain active Russian-Palestinian political dialogue and boost friendly relations in every field." The meeting was initiated by the Palestinian ambassador. On December 6, US President Donald Trump said that "it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel." He added that his administration would begin a process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. On December 28, the United Nations General Assembly voted 128 to 9 in favor of a resolution condemning Washington’s decision. Read more