Putin, Abbas to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace process in Sochi

MOSCOW, February 6. /TASS/. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to discuss Middle East developments with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the wake of the White House’s decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, together with the intra-Palestinian settlement process, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told TASS in an interview ahead of Abbas’ trip to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. "The Palestinian President visits Russia regularly, usually twice a year, but this meeting will be of a specific importance due to the new events that are unfolding in our region," the diplomat said. Ambassador Nofal noted relations between Palestinians and Israelis "are now at an all-time low, since Israel refuses to fulfill its obligations under the agreement with Palestine, based on the two-state solution." "The statements by [US President Donald] Trump that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and his decision to relocate the US embassy to this city has strained relations," the diplomat stressed. "No doubt, this and other developments in the Middle East will top the agenda for the upcoming summit," the diplomat added. "The new US stance [on the issue], after Trump’s statements has made America’s leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process unacceptable for us and now it is deadlocked." The situation within Palestine and intra-Palestinian negotiations might become another topic for talks between Putin and Abbas, Nofal suggested. "Yes, the intra-Palestinian issue is one of the most vital issues which might also be discussed. Russia played a significant role in bridging the (intra-Palestinian) divide at the negotiations held in Moscow, which were of great importance," he emphasized. In addition, bilateral relations and counterterrorism issues might also be on the agenda, the envoy suggested. Read more