Russia: West Jerusalem is capital of Israel

Russia has confirmed its commitment to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published on its website yesterday.

We reaffirm our commitment to the UN-approved principles for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement, which include the status of East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state. At the same time, we must state that in this context we view West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

It went on to call for “direct talks between the parties involved” to deal with the situation on the ground which “has been deteriorating”.

“Moscow reaffirms its support for the two-state solution as an optimal option that meets the national interests of the Palestinian and Israeli people, both of whom have friendly relations with Russia,” the statement said.

Read: Calls for Arab League to declare Jerusalem the capital of Palestine

“We will focus on ensuring free access to Jerusalem’s holy places for all believers.”