Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas commended position of Moscow and Beijing on the Palestinian problem, which is reflected in a joint statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, signed following their recent bilateral talks in Moscow, local media reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th June, 2019) Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas commended position of Moscow and Beijing on the Palestinian problem, which is reflected in a joint statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, signed following their recent bilateral talks in Moscow, local media reported.
Putin and Xi held talks from June 5-7 in Moscow. The leaders signed the joint statement in which including called for early resumption of negotiations on the Palestinian-Israeli issue and expressed support for the establishment of an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Abbas said that such position would prevent any attacks on international rule of law and the Arab Peace Initiative, as well as the historical rights of the Palestinians, according to the WAFA news agency.
The Arab Peace Initiative was proposed by Saudi Arabia and endorsed by the Arab League in 2002 and re-endorsed in 2007 and 2017. The initiative calls for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from disputed territories and restoration of borders that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War in exchange for the normalization of relations with Arab countries. According to the initiative, Israel recognizes a sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and provides for a solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees.
The relations between Israel and Palestine have been strained for decades. Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and builds settlements on the occupied areas, despite objections from the United Nations.
