Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, staying on a visit to the State of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority territories, met on February 16 with Mahmoud Abbas, Head of the PNA.

The main topic of the conversation was the prospects for Palestinian-Israeli settlement. There were expressed on the Russian side condolences over the massive loss of human lives during the recent conflict and the inadmissibility was noted of a recurrence of such events, along with the necessity of urgently lifting the blockade of the Strip. In this context the importance was stated of implementing UN Security Council resolution 1860. During the talks the sides also discussed the question of restoring Palestinian unity on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

There was expressed on the Palestinian side a firm intention to resume Palestinian dialogue on a solid international legal basis, which a Moscow Meeting on the Middle East, the idea of holding which in the coming months has received active support from the PNA leadership, is called upon to facilitate.