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Moscow Slams US Moves to Impose 'Alternative Vision' of Mideast Peace Process

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The preparation of a Bahrain economic conference as part of the proposed US plan to promote the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is Washington's attempt to substitute the genuine peace process with imposed economic incentives, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Sputnik

"It is all about another US attempt to shift the priorities of the regional agenda and impose an ' alternative vision' of the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. The persistent desire to replace the task of achieving a comprehensive political solution with a package of the so-called 'economic incentives' while eroding the principle of creating two states for two peoples is causing deep concern," the ministry said in a commentary.

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The US-sponsored "Peace to Prosperity" economic workshop will be held in Bahrain's capital of Manama on 25-26 June. The event seeks to explore political solutions for the entire region, and it also aims to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Russian Foreign Ministry's remarks came after earlier in the day it was reported that White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner will meet with senior officials in Morocco, Israel and Jordan this week to drum up support for the Trump administration's Palestinian-Israeli peace plan.

Kushner, US Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt and Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook will meet senior leaders in the three countries to drum up support for the economic portion of the plan, and will not reveal details about the political part, CNN reported, citing a White House official and an administration official.

The three will also visit the United Kingdom and Switzerland this week before they begin unveiling the long-awaited plan, which President Donald Trump has touted as the "deal of the century," this summer.

Kushner is expected to reveal more about the economic part of the plan during a conference in Manama, Bahrain. Palestine has already refused to participate in the conference.

The economic portion of the plan will seek to gather billions of dollars in investment from partners in the region to facilitate the Palestinian economy if an agreement is reached, the CNN report said, citing an official.

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For decades, Israel has been at odds with the Palestinians, who have been seeking diplomatic recognition for their independent state. The Israeli government has refused to recognise Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and continues to build settlements in Palestinian territories it occupies, despite objections from the United Nations.

Russia and the United States are part of the so-called Middle East Quartet, which was established in 2002 to help mediate the long-standing conflict. The United Nations and European Union are the other two parties in the group. In recent months, however, the Trump administration has been working on its own, separate peace plan.

The Palestinians have rejected Washington's involvement in the peace process after Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the US embassy there in May 2018 in spite of UN warnings against establishing diplomatic missions in the holy city until its legal status is settled.

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