Medvedev's Middle East mission - Russian PM meets Israeli and Palestinian leaders

  • 7 years ago
The war in Syria, nuclear proliferation and trade have topped talks between Russia and Israel during a three day tour to the Middle East by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

On Friday, the Russian premier visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem before heading to Jericho for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Insisting Moscow supported peace in the region during a joint press conference with Abbas, Medvedev said: ‘‘Our countries – Russia and the Palestinian state – are engaged in friendly and advanced relations. Our country stands for the implementation of the legal rights of the Palestinian people.’‘

The election of Donald Trump in the US, however, has raised doubts over how Washington will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

President Abbas urged Trump to pursue peace, saying: “What we ask from him (Donald Trump) is that the United States continues to push for a two state solution. An Israeli state and a Palestinian state, living together in peace and stability.’‘

Meanwhile, Israel remains deeply nervous about Iran’s military activities in Syria, and on Thursday, following talks with his Russian counterpart, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to limit Tehran’s influence in the war-torn country.

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