Russian, Palestinian leaders meet in Sochi

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in Sochi on Tuesday.

Opening the meeting, Putin stressed Russia's position on the settlement of the Palestinian problem remains unchanged.

"The Palestinian problem should be resolved in accordance with earlier decisions taken at the level of the UN Security Council on a fair basis that takes into account the interests of all people who live in this region, on the basis of two independent states," he said.

He assured Abbas to lead further work in this direction, "no matter how difficult it may be."

"We will exchange information in more detail about what is happening now, what is the current situation at this point in time, and together we will think about what can be done to move forward," Putin added.

Abbas thanked Putin, saying "we always appreciate your role, your position [towards] us, the Palestinians."