RAMALLAH (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Palestine’s Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told Sputnik that Abbas and Netanyahu looked set to meet in Moscow, but the exact timing was not defined.
"Abbas is not in Palestine now, he is in Warsaw. This proves that he has not agreed to meet Netanyahu and has not made a decision [on the issue]," Majdalani told RIA Novosti.
He added that the Palestinian delegation expected a conversation with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov following the Russian diplomat's dialogue with the Israeli leader to become familiar with the outcome of the meeting between Bogdanov and Netanyahu.
The format of direct talks between the two sides was agreed in 1991 in Madrid, following which certain progress was observed, but the talks deadlocked repeatedly. The most recent round of peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians was initiated by the United States in mid-2013 but ended in an impasse almost a year later.
Relations between Israel and Palestine have been shattered for decades. Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip.
