Russian diplomat discusses ceasefire with Israelis, Palestinians
MOSCOW. July 24 (Interfax) - Special envoy of the Russian foreign minister for the Middle East settlement, director of the Foreign Ministry Middle East and North Africa department Sergei Vershinin visited Israel and Palestine on July 21-23 to discuss the soonest end of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"He met with Palestinian and Israeli officials and a number of special representatives of the international mediators from the Middle East Quartet in Ramallah, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The conversations centered on the soonest end of the armed confrontation between Israel and Gaza," says a report posted on the ministry website.
The Russian diplomat stressed the impermissibility of further suffering of Palestinian and Israeli civilians and the importance of a mutually acceptable truce based on the Egyptian initiative.