Russia's Lavrov urges to start 'real work' on establishment of Palestinian state

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday urged to start "real work" on the establishment of the Palestinian state.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, following a meeting with his Nigerian counterpart Yusuf Tuggar, Lavrov said they discussed the difficult situation in the Middle East, focusing on the tragedy unfolding in the Gaza Strip.

"We stand for consolidating international efforts for an early cease-fire and creating the necessary conditions for providing humanitarian and other assistance to all those in need, as well as for the start of real, rather than ostentatious work to create a Palestinian state in line with decisions taken by the Security Council and the UN General Assembly," he said.

Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave, launched after the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border incursion by Hamas, have killed more than 30,000 people and created conditions for a famine. The initial Hamas attacks killed 1,200 people.

Despite international efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, time and again, repeated his opposition to an independent Palestinian state.

The minister said the situation in Sudan, where the army and the paramilitary RSF are locked in a conflict for nearly a year, was also on the agenda of the meeting. Moscow, he said, supports the mediation by African Union aimed at ending the fighting.

"In any case, Russia is making and will continue to make a constructive contribution to the efforts of Africans and the international community as a whole to stabilize the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region. We will assist the countries in this territory in improving the combat capability of their national armed forces, security, and law enforcement agencies in order to repel continuing threats," he said.

For his part, Tuggar said Nigeria eyes the development of trade relations and military cooperation with Russia. "A committee will be formed soon to implement these goals. We also have cooperation in nuclear energy and medicine, and we really want to develop this cooperation," he said.