Russia called for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue on the basis of a two-state solution, stressing its support for the Palestinian cause, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported yesterday.

Speaking during a visit to Jericho in the occupied West Bank where he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said: “This initiative is still on the table,” in reference to talks being held in Moscow without preconditions.

“Russia has always clung to its consistent position which is that the solution of the Palestinian issue is a priority and a prerequisite for the settlement of a fair and inclusive Middle East based on the resolutions of the Security Council and General Assembly of the United Nations.”

During their meeting, Abbas told Medvedev: “We welcomed the invitation of President Putin to hold a tripartite meeting in Moscow, but the Israeli side requested a postponement.”

“From a long time ago, we have been prepared for a direct dialogue with the Israeli side.”

He added, however, that for those talks to occur, the Palestinians would want Israel to accept that a two-state solution would be based on the pre-1967 lines.

Medvedev arrived in Israel on Wednesday evening. He met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and Palestinian President Abbas yesterday.

He stressed that Moscow provides aid to Palestine on a regular basis, and it has provided $40 million in recent years and allocated an additional $5 million for the reconstruction of Gaza in 2015 after Israel’s devastating summer war in 2014.

(MEM)