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Russian, US diplomats address Middle East settlement, says foreign ministry

The sides touched upon possible areas of further cooperation between Moscow and Washington regarding the Palestinian-Israeli settlement

MOSCOW, October 15. / TASS /. Special Representative of the Russian Foreign Minister on the Middle East Peace Process Vladimir Safronkov and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr over the phone discussed the issues of the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday following the talks.

"[The sides] touched upon possible areas of further cooperation between Moscow and Washington regarding the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, which is likely to be addressed not only in a bilateral format but also as part of the Middle East Quartet consisting of the Russian, the US, the UN and the EU international mediators," the statement reads.

A teleconference of the Middle East Quartet’s special representatives took place on July 15, 2021. During the talks, Russia advocated for creating appropriate conditions to resume direct Palestinian-Israeli political dialogue as soon as possible. The parties were unanimous in their opinion regarding the need for urgent restoration of civil facilities and improving the socio-economic situation in the Gaza Strip as well as the West Bank of the Jordan River.