Russia's embassy in Tel Aviv said on Friday it will open offices in Jerusalem to serve its consular section as part of an agreement with the city’s municipality and the Israeli foreign ministry.
Israel described the move as “historic.”
The Russian embassy said on its website that an agreement on clarifying the area of Russian land was signed on May 18 between the Russian Federation and the Jerusalem Municipality, with the assistance of the Russian Embassy and the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
“We proceed from the fact that the mentioned land property will be used, in particular, for the construction of a complex of buildings and structures for the needs of the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Israel,” the diplomatic mission stated.
The statement added that the opening of a branch office in Jerusalem “fully serves the interests of further strengthening friendly multifaceted relations between Russia and Israel, as well as goes in line with our country's unchanging course towards a fair Middle East settlement.”
The land plot is one of about 100 Russian properties in Israel that are the subject of a dispute between both sides. The majority of the properties were owned by Russia during the era of the Tsars, 100 to 150 years ago.
The land plot is located at the intersection of King George V and Ma'alot Streets in West Jerusalem. It was acquired by the Russian side in 1885 and is mentioned under number 50 in the "Inventory of all Russian real estate in Palestine and Syria, with the exception of private ownership" dated June 19, 1895, which was prepared by the administrator of the Consulate General of the Russian Empire in Jerusalem Alexander Yakovlev.
Israeli institutions were trying to ignore these historical archival documents and to postpone Russia’s request to clarify the land. The issue almost turned into a diplomatic crisis.
However, PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government hastened to settle the dispute, announcing that it would gradually liberate Russian lands, through detailed talks with Russia on each individual property. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed a team headed by the head of its Euro-Asia department, Yuval Fuchs. For this task, the Russians appointed Sergei Makarov, Assistant to Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.
Meanwhile, Israel sought political gains from this deal. It requested that Moscow establish on this land a building directly affiliated with the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv, to join seven countries with embassies in Jerusalem, including the US, Guatemala, Honduras, and Kosovo.
The Russians agreed to Israel’s request on the basis that the new headquarters to be built is a consular branch of the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv. Under the agreement, construction will be completed within five years.
Therefore, the diplomatic compound will provide consular services to the Israelis holding Russian nationality and to Russian nationals residing in Jerusalem and its environs, and will also house a diplomatic office, similar to the offices established in West Jerusalem by Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Moscow had previously announced that it considers West Jerusalem to be Israel's capital.
Tel Aviv considers Russia’s approval to establish a consulate branch in west Jerusalem as further recognizing the Israeli presence in Jerusalem.
