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Russia pledges support for indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks

© RIA NovostiRussian Foreign Ministry. Archive
Russian Foreign Ministry. Archive  - Sputnik International
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Russia will continue its support for the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestinians, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

Russia will continue its support for the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestinians, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) have approved a U.S. proposal for indirect peace negotiations and the first round of talks is expected to start as early as in May.

"In that respect, Russia reaffirms its readiness to continue supporting this dialogue on a mutually-accepted legal basis, and to apply efforts in other areas of the peace process in the interests of universal, fair and stable peace in the region," the Russian ministry said in a statement.

The so-called proximity talks mediated by the United States will involve the exchange of letters between PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The talks are expected to focus on such key issues as control of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, borders and Israel's West Bank settlements.

Israeli-Palestinian direct peace talks came to a halt in December 2008, when Israel launched an attack on the Gaza Strip in a bid to put an end to the firing of homemade rockets at southern Israel by Palestinian militants based in the enclave. The conflict left 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead.

Palestinians have so far cited ongoing Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, both occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, as a main obstacle to the peace process.

The foreign ministers of Arab countries promoting the Palestinian-Israeli settlement initiative supported the resumption of indirect talks under U.S. mediation during a meeting on May 1.

MOSCOW, May 9 (RIA Novosti)

 

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