Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and North Africa Mikhail Bogdanov held on Thursday a comprehensive round of talks with a visiting Hamas delegation in Moscow.
The Russian diplomat said the meeting was useful and constructive, according to the official Tass news agency. He added that the delegation included three members from the Hamas leadership, including Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau Mousa Abu Marzouk.
“Everyone understands the importance of traditionally friendly Russian-Palestinian relations, and we maintain contact with all the leading political and social forces in Palestine,” Bogdanov was quoted as saying.
He noted that the discussions touched on the Palestinian reconciliation, underlining that his country has renewed its call for a new round of negotiations between the Palestinian factions in Moscow.
The deputy minister explained that Russia has repeatedly reiterated its willingness to make additional efforts in this regard.
“We are always ready to present the Moscow platform for public meetings, bilateral or trilateral talks, based on the request of the Palestinians themselves,” he stated.
Bogdanov continued as reported by Tass: “We, on our part, reaffirmed our unwavering principled stance - to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the borders of 1967 with the capital in East Jerusalem. And this position is based exactly on the well-known international legal framework of the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.”
The Russian official went on to say that Thursday’s meeting tackled developments in Jerusalem, where Russia emphasized the need to stop the escalation.
The Hamas delegation, which includes Marzouk, Fathi Hammad and Hussam Badran, in addition to the movement's representative in Moscow, held other meetings with parliamentarians and representatives of Russian social organizations.
