MOSCOW, January 18 Russia knows about semi-closed contacts on Palestine — Israeli settlement with the participation of the United States, Israel and individual Arab states, they will not be successful, and peace can only be achieved through direct dialogue, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“We hear and know about semi-closed contacts with the participation of the United States, Israel, individual Arab states, but somehow all these contacts do not imply direct dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis, but assume that grown-up men will somewhere agree on how to continue to live for the Palestinians, and then present it to them. This will not have any success «, Lavrov said at a press conference on the results of 2023. He added that a settlement can only be achieved through direct dialogue, which now needs to be resumed.
“The main direction of efforts should be the creation of a Palestinian state in full accordance with the decisions of the Security Council (UN — ed.)…. Without this, we We will see relapses of the violence that is now observed in Gaza, because without the creation of a Palestinian state, the Palestinian people will continue to feel disadvantaged,” Lavrov noted. The minister added that without the creation of a Palestinian state, «Israel's reliable security cannot be ensured.»
In addition, he emphasized that Moscow is “very interested in Israel and the Israelis living in safety.” “This is our long-time partner, our country was the first to recognize the independence of Israel, there are now about two million citizens there who are at the same time citizens of Russia, immigrants from Russia. Of course, this is not indifferent to us. We are ready to play an active role in ensuring a full settlement, which will guarantee the security of Israel,” Lavrov concluded.