Duwaik: international recognition of Palestine must not be at the expense of national fundamentals

The Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Aziz Duwaik, has criticized the Palestinian Authority for going to the United Nations in a bid for independent Palestinian statehood without making prior consultations with the relevant Palestinian factions. Duwaik said that, whereas the step should have been taken following national consensus, the Palestinian Authority has made a unilateral decision and excluded forces influential within the Palestinian arena.

During a meeting on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Change and Reform Bloc in Ramallah attended by Russian Foreign Ministry representative in the Middle East, Sergei Vershinin, the Russian representative to the Palestine Authority, Alexander Rudakov, and the Protocol Head at the Russian mission, Maxim Rovanon, Duwaik said that the Palestinian people wanted international recognition of the Palestinian state but not at the expense of national fundamentals.

Duwaik accused Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, of not giving priority to Palestinian national interest. “There are obstacles that still hinder the implementation of what was agreed on, including who the Prime Minister will be, settling the issue of political detention, and the reactivation of the Palestinian Legislative Council.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s representative stressed that his country would support the Palestinian Authority in the vote at the Security Council or the United Nations. “Russia will have a clear stance when the issue gets introduced for voting; Russia will be on the side of the countries supporting this project, and will vote in its favour,” he said.

“East settlement must be based on UN principles, and in line with international law,” he added, stressing that Russia supports the resumption of negotiations and rejects violence.