Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said that Russia is ready to support the draft resolution on the establishment of a Palestinian state which was submitted to the UN Security Council.
"I think that we will support it, of course," Churkin is quoted by TASS. At the same time, the diplomat said that the date of putting the document to a vote has not been determined.
Vitaly Churkin noted that Russia had proposed convening a conference with the Israelis and Palestinians in Moscow a few years ago, and now France spoke about the need for such meeting. "I do not think they had in mind a Moscow conference. But, anyway, it's definitely a return to the Russian initiative," Russia's permanent representative to the UN said.
The draft resolution submitted by Jordan on Wednesday devotes 12 months to a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which establishes a "sovereign and viable" State of Palestine (SoP). The document also says that all Israeli forces must withdraw from the occupied territories no later than 2017.
The Permanent Observer of the SoP to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said earlier that the submission of the draft resolution to the UN Security Council "does not close the door to continue negotiations with all partners, whose efforts we respect." Among those he named the United States and the European Union, without mentioning Israel. The diplomat also called for the convening of an international conference to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Vitaly Churkin noted that Russia had proposed convening a conference with the Israelis and Palestinians in Moscow a few years ago, and now France spoke about the need for such meeting. "I do not think they had in mind a Moscow conference. But, anyway, it's definitely a return to the Russian initiative," Russia's permanent representative to the UN said.
