Efforts Toward Creating a Palestinian State Must Go On: Russian FM
Jakarta. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday (09/08) said efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be continued and that Russia remains committed to helping resolve the dispute in accordance with international law, free from external pressure and interference.
"We should not weaken efforts to solve problems in creating a Palestinian state, ensuring Palestinian unity," Lavrov said in a joint press statement following a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta.
Lavrov expressed concerns about the current political situation in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the spread of terrorism and the increasing international threats from the Islamic State.
"[…] We, like Indonesia, proceed from the premise that any crisis and conflict must be resolved on the solid basis of international law, respect for the norms and principles of the United Nations Charter, through political dialogue, negotiations, the search for compromises and consensus, without outside interference," Lavrov said.
Russia wants to improve coordination with Indonesia to combat terrorism, both through bilateral channels with Indonesia and within the framework of a cooperation between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Russia and Asean agreed to boost cooperation in counterterrorism during their meeting in Manila on Sunday, issuing travel restrictions to the Middle East and curbing terrorist financing.
Lavrov pointed out similarities between Indonesia's and Russia's efforts to help resolve conflicts in the Middle East, especially by focusing on delivering peace and security in the region.
Lavrov also noted the two countries share similar viewpoints on the Syrian war, the Qatar diplomatic crisis and continued instability in Iraq.
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