Russia ready to host talks between leaders of Palestine, Israel - Lavrov

MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Russia confirms readiness to host the talks between leaders of Israel and Palestine on the Middle East settlement and the ball is in their court, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the meeting with Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Saeb Erekat on Friday. "We were ready to receive the leaders of Israel and Palestine in Moscow back in September last year, and we are prepared now when they can confirm their readiness," Lavrov said. Russia’s top diplomat stressed that the need for direct talks between Israel and Palestine for achieving peaceful settlement is "long overdue." Lavrov noted that Russia traditionally has a stance on the Middle East settlement that is based on the decisions of the UN Security Council. "You know this position very well," he added. He also stressed the importance of restoring the Palestinian unity to promote peace process. "We are ready to provide all the necessary organizational support to the meeting of representatives of Palestinian movements held on the basis of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Lavrov said. Read more