Moscow strongly concerned by Trump's decision on Jerusalem - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Dec 7 (Interfax) - Moscow is troubled by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and believes that this step could further aggravate the situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
"Moscow is strongly concerned by the decisions announced in Washington. What is also worrisome is that the new U.S. stance on Jerusalem [that has been] announced risks further aggravating the situation in Palestinian-Israeli relations and in the region as a whole," it said.
"In this context, we call on all sides involved to show restraint and refrain from actions that threaten dangerous and uncontrollable consequences. Special attention needs to be given to the issue of ensuring unhindered access to holy sites in Jerusalem for people of all faiths," the ministry said.
"A fair and reliable solution to the long-running Palestinian-Israeli conflict should be reached on the known basis of international law, including the relevant resolutions of the [UN] Security Council and the UN General Assembly that envisage that all aspects of the Palestinian territories' final status, including the highly sensitive issue of Jerusalem, should be settled at direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations," the ministry said.