International Russia Interested in Consultations With Israel on Security in Middle East – Lavrov

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia is interested in continuing consultations with Israel on security and stability in the Middle East region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in the article on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations between Russia and Israel, published by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. "We are interested in continuing consultations with our Israeli partners on security and stability issues in the Middle East. We always draw attention to the fact that comprehensive solutions to the problems of the region must necessarily take into account the security interests of Israel. This is a matter of principle," Lavrov said in the article. The Russian foreign minister stressed that Moscow saw no alternatives to the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "We strongly support direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. A comprehensive solution to all issues of the final status is possible only through it. We are ready to work with Israeli colleagues, including multilateral formats, primarily in the context of the renewal of work of the Middle East Quartet of international mediators in close cooperation with representatives of the of the Arab League," Lavrov said. The minister praised the active development of the Russian-Israeli dialogue via the foreign ministries. "It is obvious that without constructive interaction of diplomats it is impossible to solve a number of international and regional problems that are of paramount importance both for ensuring the prosperous future of the peoples of Russia and Israel just as for strengthening international and regional security and stability," Lavrov noted. The Russian top diplomat also positively assessed diversified contacts between the security councils and the defense ministries of the two nations. Read more: https://sputniknews.com/20211015/russia-interested-in-consultations-with-israel-on-security-in-middle-east--lavrov-1089938010.html