Moscow would like to see a more active role for the Middle East quartet of mediators in the Israeli-Palestinian settlement, according to the Russian foreign minister.
"We are very concerned about the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement; it is at a dead end. Moreover, the impasse is getting deeper, especially in the light of the US decisions on Jerusalem," Sergei Lavrov said during a meeting with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nikolai Mladenov.
He noted that Moscow is concerned by attempts to change the configuration of the geopolitical map of the Middle East in such a way as to "push the Palestinian problem to the background."
"Unfortunately, it has not been like this so far, but I expect to discuss with you today how we can make sure that the quartet, as a generally recognized mediator in Middle East processes, and UN decisions dedicated to the Palestinian-Israeli settlement are not forgotten," he said.
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Palestine wants to establish a state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partly occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government has rejected the recognition of Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and has resumed the construction of settlements in occupied areas, despite objections from the United Nations.
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The two-state solution refers to a resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict that stipulates "two states for two peoples." The two-state solution entails both an independent State of Palestine and the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River.
