Russia welcomes Beijing Declaration on Palestine

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Wednesday welcomed the signing of the Beijing Declaration on Palestine.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed Russia's support for the agreement aimed at overcoming the intra-Palestinian split.

"We welcome the agreements on overcoming the inter-Palestinian split, reached during a meeting organized with the assistance of our Chinese friends on July 23 in Beijing between representatives of 14 Palestinian factions. We expect these agreements to be implemented," she emphasized.

Zakharova highlighted the importance of Palestinian unity and the administrative and political integrity of the Palestinian territories within the 1967 borders as essential for establishing sustainable Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.

She confirmed Russia's readiness "to continue to vigorously assist the Palestinians in this effort, including in close coordination with our Chinese colleagues and regional partners."

On Tuesday, China Central Television reported that on July 21-23, Chinese authorities provided a platform in Beijing for reconciliation consultations among various Palestinian factions, culminating in the signing of a declaration to end the split and strengthen unity.