Palestinian groups start reconciliation talks in Moscow

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Palestinian groups on Thursday started a new round of national reconciliation talks in the Russian capital Moscow in the presence of Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Speaking to Anadolu, Bassam al-Salhi, the secretary-general of the Palestinian People's Party, said Lavrov started his speech at the meeting by stressing Russia's support for the right of the Palestinian people to establish their own independent state on the lands of 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also cited Lavrov as confirming his country's continued efforts to have a cease-fire in Gaza.

According to the Palestinian senior leader, Lavrov considered the US' "lone sponsorship" of the Palestine-Israel peace process the reason for its failure which led to the deterioration of the situation.

The state of political division has been taking place since 2007, with two entities ruling the Palestinians, one in the West Bank led by the Fatah movement, and the other in Gaza led by the Hamas movement.

Over the past years, several Arab capitals hosted reconciliation talks but all failed to bring an end to the ongoing political rift.

On Feb. 16, Russia announced hosting Palestinian groups to hold intra-Palestinian talks on Feb. 29-March 2.

The talks in Moscow came amid an ongoing Israeli devastating onslaught against Gaza since Oct. 7, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 30,000 Palestinians.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar.