The member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Ahmad Majdalani, welcomed the vital and political role of Russia in the Middle East region.
He also praised Russia’s firm and supportive stances of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinians’ national rights, announcing that Moscow is seeking to activate the work of the international quartet, comprised of the European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States.
This came days after Moscow appointed Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov a special envoy to Russia for the Middle East peace process.
The Foreign Ministry said that Safronkov, 56, will represent Russia in bilateral and multilateral talks, especially in the international meetings of the quartet, aimed at reaching a sustainable and just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli and Israeli-Arab conflict.
Majdalani indicated that Safronkov’s appointment is vital and a clear evidence of Russian interest in the security and stability of the region. He noted that the envoy’s discussions with peace process coordinators are crucial and confirm the importance of activating the work of the quartet as one of the Security Council's mechanisms.
Since his appointment, Safronkov made a series of phone calls aimed at resuming the Palestinian-Israeli negotiation process, aiming to find solutions for the major issues of the final status.
His talks included the Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Alon Auschwitz, the Special Envoy of the Swiss Foreign Minister Roland Chatelain, the Special Representative of the European Union Susanna Terstal and the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nikolay Mladenov.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is pushing towards the resumption of the quartet's work as a sponsor of possible negotiations, as this is an alternative to the US peace plan known as the deal of the century.
Last week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that he was ready to return to negotiations with the quartet. Abbas’ initiative received support from Arab and regional countries, the EU, Russia and China.
The Authority informed the quartet of its readiness to return to negotiations, announcing that it accepts conditions such as limited arms, a third party on the borders and minor amendments to the maps.
