MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2020) Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem, on Thursday to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
The trip to Bethlehem will be part of his visit to Israel, alongside other world leaders, to mark 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz in Poland by Soviet troops.
The meeting with Abbas is expected to focus on bilateral issues, middle East tensions and outlooks for reaching a peace deal between Israel and Palestine.
The Palestinian prime minister told Sputnik last week that the two leaders would discuss Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands.
Russia believes that Palestinians have an inalienable right for statehood and has been advocating a two-state solution that requires mutual recognition of Israel and Palestine.
Palestinian Ambassador in Moscow Abdel Hafiz Nofal said to Sputnik on Monday that Palestine and Russia were also working on deals that would facilitate free movement of students and diplomats between them.
