Regarding Start of Palestinian National Dialogue in Territories of Palestinian National Authority

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

On May 25, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the representatives of leading Palestinian political organizations and movements, including Fatah and Hamas, began, in teleconference mode, a Palestinian national dialogue at Head of the PNA Mahmoud Abbas's initiative. Its participants aim to work out a common program of action for the sake of achieving consensus on a resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks under the aegis of the PLO and the PNA Head. They mention as an indispensable condition for this development Israel's withdrawal to the 1967 borders and the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Moscow welcomes the beginning of the Palestinian national dialogue. Its success could open the way to the creation of a government of national unity, to normalizing the situation in the Palestinian territories and to establishing a reliable order and security there. There is no doubt that this would meet the interests of all the Palestinians without exception. We urge the dialogue participants to show restraint, tolerance and orientation towards the realization of the common national expectations and aspirations of the Palestinian people, excluding clashes and confrontation.

Of particular significance would be the adoption of a political joint action platform which would take into account the well-known demands of the international community and would enable resuming a full-scale negotiation process based on the Roadmap with a view to the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state coexisting with Israel in peace and security. Russia will doubtless continue to help in this effort.

May 26, 2006