PRESS RELEASE

On December 8, a telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Head of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Mahmoud Abbas took place at the Palestinian side's initiative. Abbas shared his assessment of the state of affairs in Middle East settlement through the prism of recently undertaken efforts to restart direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations with the freezing of Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

A confidential exchange of views took place on ways out of the situation in the peace process. The Head of the PNA praised the role Russia has been playing in Middle East settlement and the region as a whole, and called for increased international efforts to help unblock the situation.

Lavrov supported the Palestinian leadership's stance in favor of a negotiated solution to the Palestinian question on the universally recognized international legal basis. The Minister informed Abbas on the contacts to this end undertaken by Russia as a member of the Middle East Quartet and on a bilateral basis and spoke out against unilateral steps that prejudge the outcome of the negotiations. No less important here, stressed Lavrov, are well-coordinated collective efforts of the international community as an external support of the peace process.

There were discussed topical issues of strengthening Russian-Palestinian bilateral relations. Sergey Lavrov reiterated Russia's intention to continue to provide financial assistance to the PNA and to supply special equipment for Palestinian law enforcement agencies.

December 9, 2010