Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at the UN Security Council Meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

We thank Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov for his briefing on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. We welcome Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian State Riyad al-Maliki and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Ayman Safadi.

The Middle East stands at the center of global politics. The region is engulfed in multiple crises – the old and the new ones. Russia keeps close track of the latest developments, because we are bound with the States of the region by many years of relations based on mutual respect, cooperation and shared interests.

It is no coincidence that I am speaking about shared interests. We proceed from the assumption that the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa, all ethnic and religious groups included, are inextricably linked to each other. Once they used to have balance, but it has been destroyed in the recent past, and it continues to deteriorate as a result of the geopolitical engineering that comes from the outside, interference in the domestic affairs, forceful methods and collapse of entire States.

With growing concern do we watch the remaining tension in the process of Palestinian-Israeli regulation. It is further complicated by the ongoing settlement activity of Israel and demolition of Palestinian buildings, as well as by the situation inside and around Gaza. This activity is illegitimate as seen by the international humanitarian law, besides, it is a serious impediment for establishing equitable, sustainable and all-encompassing peace in the Middle East.

In this regard, we share concerns about the recent claims of Israel’s leadership to spread the Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley. If this happens, it will unescapably escalate tension in the region, undermine hope for reaching long-awaited peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Same is valid for the decision of the U.S. administration on Jerusalem, and for the recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, which constitutes a severe violation of the international law, in particular of Security Council resolution 497.

In parallel to this, there are unwearying efforts to impose “alternative” settlement templates that undermine the parameters of solving the Palestinian problem that the international community has long developed and adopted. The intention to “wear out” the search for a reliable all-encompassing solution of this issue is counter-productive in our view. Unilateral action does not bring us closer to solving the old and the new problems of the region. It is quite obvious to us just as to majority of our colleagues, that the only way out is to link international and regional efforts with the central role of the United Nations and its Security Council. This assertion should become the starting point for any corresponding efforts or initiatives.

We advocate for involvement of the Quartet of mediators, since it is a unique mechanism for Middle Eastern Settlement that has been approved of by the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Russia adds to promotion of the whole package related to the Middle Eastern settlement, i.a. we stand ready to provide venue for potential meeting without any preconditions of Israel’s and Palestine’s leaders. We also make efforts to restore inter-Palestinian unity and welcome steps made by our Egyptian colleagues at this track.

Against this backdrop, time has long become ripe to deploy a Security Council mission in the Middle East. It should seek to enhance trust and help re-launch negotiations between the sides, prevent collapse of efforts made by the global community in order to implement the only viable settlement that is based on the international legal fundament. This basis was developed by the Security Council and it is the Council that should be able to revise it. No unilateral steps can change the key principles: two-state solution, the Madrid principles, the Arab peace initiative.

We set forth our assistance to the UNRWA, whose activity has both a humanitarian and a political dimension, produces a stabilizing impact on the Palestinian territories and countries in the Middle East.

All final status issues, including Jerusalem, fundamental security questions, and refugees should result from direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.

The lack of regulation of the Palestinian problem is one of the factors that create new challenges in the Middle East. It is with growing concern that we watch another round of tension unfold in the Persian Gulf area. Against the backdrop of ongoing exchange of recriminations, there is an increase in military presence, i.a. by States that are not part of the region, which creates risks of an armed clash. Any incident may lead to conflict that would have devastating aftereffects. We consistently call upon all sides to take steps to de-escalate the situation and solve problems by political and diplomatic methods. In light of this, the need becomes even more pressing to develop a sustainable collective security mechanism in the region that would be based on equal dialogue. There is a corresponding Russian initiative that aims to ease the conflict situations, develop confidence and control measures.

Russia will take active steps to help stabilize the situation in the Middle East. We stand ready to interact with all interested stakeholders. We invite everyone to join the collective work.