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Russia welcomes appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as Palestinian vice president — MFA

Moscow assumes that the appointment will "make a solid contribution to the strengthening of Palestinian administrative institutions"

MOSCOW, April 29. /TASS/. Moscow welcomes the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as Palestinian vice president, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"On April 24, at the meeting of the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), it was decided to establish the post of deputy chairman of the PLO Executive Committee, vice president of the State of Palestine. On April 26, the PLO Executive Committee approved the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh, a member of the Fatah Central Committee and secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, to this post," the statement said.

"Russia welcomes the decision of the Palestinian leadership. Moscow knows Hussein al-Sheikh as a responsible and experienced politician who enjoys respect in the region and the world," the ministry said. "He consistently advocates a diplomatic settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the development of Russian-Palestinian relations."

Russia assumes that the appointment will "make a solid contribution to the strengthening of Palestinian administrative institutions, which should become the backbone of a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace and security with Israel." Moscow calls on Israel and Palestine to begin direct negotiations to resolve "final status issues in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions that provide for the realization of the two-state formula."

"An urgent cessation of all hostilities in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the release of hostages and detainees constitute a necessary condition for starting a peace process in the Middle East," the statement said. "We are convinced that it is impossible to achieve sustainable stability and lasting peace in the region without finding a comprehensive solution to the long-standing Palestinian issue on a universally recognized international legal basis."

Russian diplomacy "will continue to do all it can to achieve this goal," according tot the ministry.