MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Russia will push ahead with every effort in order to return the situation around Jerusalem to the constructive track, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with the Palestinian presidential foreign policy and international affairs adviser Nabil Shaath on Tuesday.

"It goes without saying that at this stage we are rather alarmed over the situation around Jerusalem," he said. "Our stance on the issue has been repeatedly outlined by the Russian president and confirmed in his telephone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas."

"We will be doing all we can with the aim to return the situation to the constructive track, which would promote the beginning of negotiations [between Palestine and Israel], and to ensure no party take unilateral steps predetermining a final settlement," he pointed out.

Lavrov said that through a regular Russian-Palestinian dialogue and through contacts within the Middle East quartet Moscow invariably pressed for the need for the fastest resumption of direct negotiations with the aim to achieve a mutually acceptable settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

"Of course, we will continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people and support corresponding United Nations projects," he promised.