President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas held talks in Novo-Ogaryovo.

Vladimir Putin: As everyone knows, unfortunately, today Russia finds itself having to defend its interests and its people with arms in hand. However, we still pay close attention to the situation in the Middle East and the developments in Palestine. We have long-standing and deep ties with the Arab world in general, and with Palestine in particular, which we greatly value.

We are closely following the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Palestine with deep anguish and concern. We are making every effort to support the Palestinian people. As you know, we have already sent about 700 tonnes of various goods there. We are determined to seize any available opportunity to assist the Palestinian people. Above all, our main concern is the loss of civilian lives. According to the UN, there are 40,000 victims already, mostly women and children.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with you today in Moscow and discuss the full range of our relations, as well as the situation at present and in the short term.

As you know, we have always advocated for a peaceful settlement, and we understand – in this regard, we share the same position – that this problem has deep historical roots and is primarily related to the disregard of decisions made by international organisations, primarily the UN, to establish and create an independent Palestinian state.

Our stance on this matter remains unchanged. We adopted it a long time ago, and it is in no way motivated by considerations of short-term benefits. We believe that in order to secure lasting and stable peace in the region, it is imperative to implement all UN resolutions, with the establishment of a full-fledged Palestinian state as a priority.

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