Statement by Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, at the UNSC meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question
Mr. President,
At the outset, we would like to convey our heartfelt condolences with regard to the passing of Emir Al-Sabah. This is a huge loss, i.a. with regard to the role he played in the region. We express our condolences to the leadership and the people of Kuwait.
We thank Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov for the briefing.
This month we witnessed the signing of agreements between the UAE, Bahrein, and Israel. Throughout all stages of work on the Middle Eastern settlement, Russia in its capacity as a P5 member and part of the international Quartet of mediators has always proceeded from the assumption that there is a need for a comprehensive settlement. However, there was an understanding that a just solution to the Palestinian problem within the internationally recognized legal framework (endorsed by the UN, including its resolutions, the Arab peace initiative, and the fundamental “two-state principle”) must be an inalienable component of such settlement. This framework provides for the creation of an independent, sovereign and territorially contiguous Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with the capital in East Jerusalem, which would live in peace with Israel.
We have to point out once again that the entire range of final status issues should be resolved during direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations that need to be launched as soon as possible. In his statement at the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September, Palestinian President M.Abbas addressed this aspect and put forward an initiative that has a goal to apply negotiation mechanisms to solving the Palestinian question.
We strongly believe that no one can achieve a breakthrough if acting alone. We need to boost collective diplomacy to prevent failure of efforts that the global community has been taking to create necessary conditions for implementation of the only viable “two-state solution” to result from direct Palestinian-Israeli talks.
We call on our partners in the Quartet – the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States – to galvanize action for this purpose. We are also ready to have dialogue with key regional countries and hold Quartet meetings with their participation. Besides, Russia supports the efforts of our Egyptian colleagues, whereby we actively interact with Palestinian representatives in order to help overcome the existing divisions.
In this regard, we reiterate the call to abandon provocative actions and unilateral steps. In the first place, annexation plans must be cancelled, Israel must stop its settlement activity in the West Bank and the policy of demolishing Palestinian property. Violence and terrorist activities must be put an end to. Also, everyone should abstain from any aggressive or provocative rhetoric.
The global community needs to take active steps to improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Palestinian territories that are living through a socio-economic crisis. Palestinians need help in combating the coronavirus. Russia will continue supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The activity of UNRWA has both a humanitarian and a political dimension, as it produces a vital stabilizing effect on the Palestinian territories and the Middle Eastern countries at large.
Thank you.
