Russia’s envoy to the United Nations said Moscow would back the Palestinian bid to secure statehood at the UN.
Vitaly Churkin told Russian television that the Russian government would back any approach that Palestine adopts in its effort to seek membership in the UN.
Russia is a co-sponsor of the Mideast peace process along with the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union.
Both Israel, and its key ally, the United States, oppose the Palestinian bid.
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland reacted to Churkin’s comments.
“We think that there is time yet for the [Middle East] Quartet to play a positive role in getting these parties back to the table,” she said. “That is the direction that all Quartet parties ought to be pushing at the moment.”
Meanwhile in Cairo, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the bloc was waiting to see the text of the resolution that the Palestinians will submit to the UN, adding: “What we’re very clear about from the European Union is that the way forward is negotiations.”
A vote on the Palestinian statehood is expected to take place later this year in the UN General Assembly.
compiled from agency reports