NOVO OGARYOVO, January 23. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will discuss the Syrian settlement at Thursday’s talks, according to documents, which are timed to the leaders’ meeting.

“Putin and Abbas will discuss international issues, primarily the Middle East settlement and the Syrian conflict resolution,” documents say.

“Russia supported the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli talks that aim to search ways to reach an agreement,” documents say, adding “The implementation of the agreement should help create a viable Palestinian state, which will live in peace with Israel.

Abbas’ previous official visit to Russia took place in mid-March 2013. Then he had talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and head of Russia’s North Caucasian Republic of Karachai-Cherkessia Rashid Temrezov.

Before that, Abbas visited Russia on January 19-24, 2012.

As the leader of the Palestine National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbas paid his first official visit to Moscow in early 2005. The PNA leader has made ten visits in Russia since then.

Official contacts of the Soviet leaders with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) were established in February 1970, when a delegation headed by PLO leader Yasser Arafat visited Moscow for the first time. Later on, Arafat visited the Soviet Union and then Russia many times.

On November 18, 1988, the Soviet Union officially recognized the State of Palestine, which was proclaimed at a session of the Palestine National Council in Algeria on November 15, 1988.