MOSCOW, December 2 (Sputnik) — Palestinians support the initiative of Russia to facilitate talks and give a new impetus to the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue, Fayed Mustafa, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia told RIA Novosti.
"Yes, precisely. We highly appreciate and respect Russia's role and position [in this question]," Mustafa.
On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed the need to kick-start the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, involving the US Security Council as a mediator.
The ministry stressed that the corresponding road map has been already prepared by Palestinians. It was introduced to the UN Security Council and backed by the Arab League at its session with foreign ministers in Cairo, it added.
Palestinians seek the creation of an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, and want Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories it took after the 1967 war.
The last bilateral negotiations between Palestinians and Israel ended fruitlessly in early 2014. In October, Palestinians worked out a draft UN Security Council resolution that defines strict time limits for Israel to end its occupation and remove settlements before November 2016.
The State of Palestine has been recognized by 135 out of 193 member states of the United Nations.
