Moscow welcomes steps toward Palestinian unity
MOSCOW. Nov 29 (Interfax) - Moscow expects that the return of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian government's control would promote security in the region.
"I would like to separately highlight the recent positive shifts reached in the process of settling the split-up in Palestine. The first important stage is to fully implement agreements reached with Egypt's active role in October of this year between the Fatah and Hamas movements on the return of the Gaza Strip to the legitimate Palestinian government," Russian Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said at a festive evening on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Wednesday.
This "should lead to a tangible improvement in the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the strengthening of security," he said.
"Further steps are expected to follow, with the final goal of achieving genuine Palestinian national unity based on the Palestine Liberation Organization's political platform," Bogdanov said.
"Russia invariably shares and supports the principal choice made by the Palestinian leadership for a peaceful settlement with Israel," he said.
Bogdanov hopes that "against the backdrop of turbulent processes ongoing in the Middle East and North Africa, the priority of a just solution of the Palestinian problem will not become vague and will not get lost in the background."