Russia urges parties to abandon actions undermining elections in Palestine
Moscow (QNN)- The Russian government urged on Saturday all parties to abandon actions that could undermine the successful completion of the upcoming elections in Palestine and, as a result, to remove the prospect of returning Palestinians and Israelis to the negotiating table.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it also urged the Palestinian factions to build upon the understandings reached during the recent meeting in Cairo held under Egyptian auspices, describing the elections as “a step towards overcoming the division among the Palestinians.”
It said ending the division and achieving national unity in Palestine were “a prerequisite for resuming direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations with a view of resolving the final status issues, on the basis of the internationally recognized two-state solution principle, which provides for the establishment of the two states of Palestine and Israel, living in peace and security alongside each other.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry affirmed its readiness to provide more assistance to the Palestinian factions, which it said were expected to meet in Moscow for further talks on achieving national unity.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said that a legislative, presidential and National Council elections would be held in the coming months, as part of a warming of ties between Fatah and Hamas.
The elections will be held in three stages: the legislative on May 22, the presidential elections on July 31, and the elections for the National Council on August 31.
