Russian Deputy FM speaks to Fatah and Hamas leaders in call

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Feb 2024 16:35

After revealing that Moscow will host inter-Palestinian talks earlier last week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov speaks to officials in the Fatah and Hamas movements.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov speaks with journalists in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP)

Aimed at discussing the inter-Palestinian meeting set to take place in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held a phone conversation with the leadership of both Fatah and Hamas movements earlier on Tuesday.

"At the initiative of the Palestinian side, telephone conversations took place between Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Fatah Central Committee, Azzam al-Ahmed and Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Politburo Mousa Abu Marzouk," the ministry said.

The primary focus of the discussion was addressing the issues relating to occupied Palestine, highlighting the increasing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, as stated by the ministry.

"There was also a thorough exchange of views on issues related to the preparation and holding of the inter-Palestinian meeting scheduled for the end of February - early March in Moscow at the site of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. At the same time, the Russian side confirmed its unwavering principled position in support of Palestinian unity on the political platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization," the ministry added.

This comes after Russia revealed last Friday that it has invited Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Fatah, and other organization leaders for talks regarding the Israeli war on Gaza, in Moscow on February 29.

In recent years, Moscow has strived to maintain positive relations with Israeli and Palestinian actors alike, but relations with "Israel" have deteriorated because of its genocide in Gaza and its rejection of the formation of a Palestinian state.

In this context, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, announced inter-Palestinian talks starting on 29 February in Moscow, particularly with the Islamic Jihad and Hamas movements, both of whom are considered terrorist organizations by "Israel" and the West.

He also stated that talks would extend till the first or second of March.