Lavrov meets Fatah member in Moscow

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Fatah Central Committee member Hussain Sheikh on Thursday in Moscow where he urged Palestinians to reconcile to strengthen its position in talks with Israel.

Lavrov confirmed Russia's adherence to the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The Russian side reaffirmed its commitment to the two-state principle of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on a generally recognized international legal basis, including the relevant UN Security Council and UN General Assembly resolutions and the Arab peace initiative, and stressed that there is no alternative to establishing direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis but under the auspices of the international Quartet," it said, referring to the EU, Russia, UN and the US.

On Jan. 28, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the controversial “Deal of the Century,” to end one of the longest-running disputes in the Middle East.

Trump proposed an independent Palestinian state but recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital."

The so-called “peace” plan unilaterally annuls previous UN resolutions on the Palestinian issue and suggests giving Israel almost everything it demanded.

Turkey has slammed the plan as an effort to "justify Israeli occupation and annexation of Jerusalem and the West Bank."