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Lavrov: Arab Peace Initiative being undermined

March 6, 2019 at 12:15 pm

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Russia on 29 December 2018 [Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency]

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday criticised steps to undermine the Arab Peace Initiative, referring to measures on the ground taken by a number of Arab states regarding normalising ties with Israel.

During a press conference held with Saudi Minister of External Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir in Riyadh, Lavrov said: “Moscow and Riyadh agree that the Palestine-Israel conflict should be resolved based on the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.”

He added: “We paid special attention to the need to achieve progress in resolving the Palestine-Israel issue, which has been stalled.”

READ: Saudi leads efforts to change Arab Peace Initiative with Israel

“We are confident that it is only possible to overcome the impasse using the principles for a peaceful settlement outlined by the United Nations on the basis of the two-state solution.”

Stressing the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative, he said: “We will certainly seek to make sure that further efforts are made based on the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, put forward by late Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.”

Peace talks have been stalled since 2014, when Israel refused to commit to releasing a group of veteran Palestinian prisoners.

However, a number of Arab and Islamic states have since increased their relations with Israel, ignoring the suffering inflicted by Israel on the Palestinians.

READ: How Israel understands the Arab Peace Initiative