Russia believes that the so-called deal of the century proposed by US President Donald Trump in its current form is unlikely to contribute to a lasting Middle East settlement, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th February, 2020) Russia believes that the so-called deal of the century proposed by US President Donald Trump in its current form is unlikely to contribute to a lasting Middle East settlement, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Wednesday.
"We assume that the US initiative in its current form will hardly bring closer the prospect of achieving a lasting Middle East settlement," Bogdanov said at a Russian Civic Chamber meeting.
The diplomat added that volatile relations between Israel and Palestine were one of the key factors of regional instability.
The US Middle East peace plan was formally unveiled in late January. According to the plan, Israel would annex settlements in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, and have Jerusalem as its "undivided capital." Meanwhile, a demilitarized Palestinian state was offered the adjacent village of Abu Dis as its capital and $50 billion in investment to "spur the Palestinian economy." The deal triggered strong backlash across the world, with Palestine insisting on restoring its pre-1967 borders and having Jerusalem as its capital.
