Lavrov, Palestinian rep to discuss Palestinian-Israeli conflict

MOSCOW, July 5 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
and Nabil Saath, a representative of the Central Committee of the FATH
party overseeing political issues, will meet in Moscow on Tuesday to
discuss prospects of overcoming the Palestinian-Israeli crisis.
Earlier, Palestinian Ambasador to Russia Fayed Mustafa told Itar-Tass
that the Palestinian side intended to discuss the situation in the Middle
East at the talks in Moscow ahead of the 'quartet' meeting.
"In order to overcome stagnation in the Palestinian-Israeli direction
Russia is having active contacts with all the sides concerned," Russian
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich said.
He added that inter-Palestinian reconciliation would also be a topic
for discussion.
"For our part, we are using all the possibilities we have to support
the Cairo agreements, and will be ready to render assistance in their
earliest realization," Lukashevich went on to say.
Observers believe that the forthcoming diplomatic fight between
Palestine and Israel for the recognition by the United Nations General
Assembly of a call for an independent state.
In this context, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas made it clear that
he could give up the idea of including a call for independence of
Palestine in the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly if Israel
agrees to resume direct talks on the principles of returning to the 1967
borders with mutually coordinated swap of territories.
For its part, Israel hopes that the forthcoming 'quartet' meeting of
the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations will
persuade the Palestinians to put off their appeal to the U.N. General
Assembly.