Russia to support efforts towards peaceful resolution of crises in Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Syria - Putin in address to LAS summit

MOSCOW. May 19 (Interfax) - Russia will continue to promote the resolution of acute regional problems in the Middle East and North Africa based on the principles of respect for state sovereignty and the norms of international law, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We intend to continue our active support for collective efforts towards peacefully resolving acute regional problems, including the crises in Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Syria, with the utmost respect for state sovereignty and existing norms of international law. We will continue to give our full assistance in settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, on the basis of approaches defined by respective UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative authored by the host of this LAS summit, Saudi Arabia," Putin said in his greetings to a summit of the League of Arab States (LAS).

"Russia traditionally attaches great importance to the development of friendly relations and constructive partnership with countries of the Middle East and North Africa, including within the framework of dialogue with the LAS," he said.

"We believe that further broadening of multifaceted cooperation between Russia and Arab countries fully meets common interests and goes in the same vein with the formation of a fairer, more democratic system of international relations based on the principles of multipolarity, genuine equality and respect for each other's lawful interests," Putin said in his greetings, published on the Kremlin's website.