Russian top diplomat calls for continuing efforts to create Palestinian state

JAKARTA, August 9. /TASS/. Efforts to create a Palestinian state should not be relaxed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following his talks with Indonesian top diplomat Retno Marsudi on Wednesday. "We have discussed a number of issues related to our cooperation in resolving the Middle East issue on the United Nations platform," he said. "We believe that efforts to create a Palestinian state and resolve the Palestinian unity issue should not be relaxed," Lavrov added. "Russia and Indonesia have been doing a lot in this field, trying to help find decisions that would ensure peace and security in all the countries of the Middle East, including Palestine," the Russian foreign minister said. Lavrov pointed out that the parties had also exchanged views on other global issues. "We have close positions on the Syria and Iraq crises, the situation in the Persian Gulf area and many other global problems," he said. "We have also discussed issues concerning the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, agreeing to continue consultations," he noted. Read more