FORTALEZA, July 16. /ITAR-TASS/. The BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have called on Israel and Palestine to resume negotiations leading to the creation of a viable Palestinian state that can exist side by side with Israel.

“We reaffirm our commitment to contribute to a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of the universally recognized international legal framework, including the relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles and the Arab Peace Initiative. We believe that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a fundamental component for building a sustainable peace in the Middle East,” the BRICS leaders said in a resolution adopted on Tuesday at the summit meeting in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza.

“We call upon Israel and Palestine to resume negotiations leading to a two-State solution with a contiguous and economically viable Palestinian State existing side by side in peace with Israel, within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders based on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the declaration said.

The BRICS leaders spoke against continuous construction and expansion of settlements "in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by the Israeli Government, which violates international law, gravely undermines peace efforts and threatens the viability of the two-State solution".