"Without seeing the whole picture of the US vision of settlement, it is hard to make any final conclusions. But for now, I will say that the economic part implies half of around $50 billion would be invested in Palestinian Authority, while the remaining $25 billion would be invested in the infrastructure of the countries that host Palestinian refugees", Lavrov told reporters.
According to the minister, the plan may violate the UNSC resolutions.
"If that is aimed at keeping the refugees there forever and for that the respective countries will receive financial flows, then that violated the resolutions of the UN Security Council, which imply a viable Palestinian state that would receive refugees", Lavrov said, when asked what he thought of the US economic plan that had recently been unveiled at a workshop in Bahrain.
The statement comes after the Russian Foreign Ministry said on 27 June that the US approach to the Israeli-Palestinian settlement, as evidenced at the workshop in the Bahraini capital of Manama, is counterproductive because it only concentrates on the economic development in the region and does not submit real measures to establish a dialogue between the dispute's key actors.
The ministry remarked that the key proposal was to set up a $50 billion foundation to fulfil various projects in Palestine, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon within the next 10 years. However, according to the ministry, the proposal ignored the need to restart direct talks on all key issues, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders with a capital in East Jerusalem.
The two-day meeting in Bahrain on 25 and 26 June focused on the economic aspects of the so-called "deal of the century" — a US plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Representatives of Palestine boycotted the forum, seeing it as an attempt to buy them out.
For decades, Palestinians have sought recognition of their independent state in the Israeli-controlled West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Israeli government has refused to recognise Palestinian Authority as an independent political and diplomatic entity and continues to build settlements in the areas, despite objections from the United Nations.
