Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to Bethlehem is an indicator that Moscow supports the Palestinian leadership, the country's ambassador to Moscow, Abdel Hafiz Nofal, told Sputnik
ST. PETERSBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th January, 2020) Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to Bethlehem is an indicator that Moscow supports the Palestinian leadership, the country's ambassador to Moscow, Abdel Hafiz Nofal, told Sputnik.
Putin will visit Palestine on January 23, a day after attending commemorative events in Israel dedicated to Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the Red Army's liberation the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp.
"We view this visit as a [sign of] support for the Palestinian leadership. Despite good ties between Israel and Russia, the Russian position regarding the Palestinian state and [Eastern] Jerusalem as its capital is very important for us," Nofal said.
According to the diplomat, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the "root cause" of the turbulence in the Middle East. Palestine, he said, greatly appreciates Russia's stance on the matter and hopes it will "play its active role in mediating the conflict."
Palestine seeks the establishment of a state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government has refused to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity.
The Soviet Union recognized the State of Palestine on November 18, 1988, three days since the Palestine Liberation Organization proclaimed its establishment in Algeria. Over the years, Moscow has been calling for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
