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Russia urges to call Middle East settlement Quartet meeting as soon as possible

The fact that the resolution on the Middle East settlement problem was not approved cannot but cause regret, the Russian Foreign Ministry said
Russian Foreign Ministry ITAR-TASS/Gennadiy Khamelyanin
Russian Foreign Ministry
© ITAR-TASS/Gennadiy Khamelyanin

MOSCOW, December 31. /TASS/. Russia regrets that the resolution on Palestine has not been approved in the UN Security Council due to the position of the United States and other delegations and urges to call as soon as possible a meeting of the "Quartet" of international mediators to discuss the Middle East settlement situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

“On December 30, the UN Security Council held voting on the draft resolution on the Middle East settlement problem that was submitted by Jordan’s delegation at the Palestinian request,” the ministry said. “The resolution is based on the generally recognized international legal framework for Middle East settlement, including the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. It provides for a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including the creation of a geographically contiguous and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel.”

“The Russian Federation, along with the majority of other delegations voted in favour of this resolution,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “However, due to the position taken by the United States and a number of other delegations, the document failed to receive the required nine votes “for.”

“The fact that the resolution was not approved cannot but cause regret. Especially disturbing is the fact that it happened against the background of a serious degradation of the Middle East peace process, aggravation of contradictions between the sides,” the ministry said.

“Today it is more than ever before necessary to prevent the Israelis and Palestinians from aggravating the situation, make them take reciprocal steps aimed at the creation of conditions favourable for the peace process re-launch. Russia continues to support the intensification of collective efforts in the Middle East settlement and in this connection urges to call as soon as possible a ministerial meeting of the ‘Quartet’ of international mediators to discuss the situation and work out optimal solutions to this long-running conflict,” the ministry said.