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Putin to meet with Abbas in Moscow

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmoud Abbas in the Russian capital city of Moscow.

According to the Kremlin press service, the two leaders are scheduled to meet on Monday during Abbas’ three-day visit to the European country.

“The two leaders will hold talks concerning key aspects of Russian-Palestinian relations and their future, with particular attention on the trade, economy and humanitarian sectors,” read the Kremlin’s statement.

“A substantive exchange of opinions is planned on prospects of a Palestinian-Israeli negotiating process and other relevant regional problems,” the statement added.

Reports also said that Abbas will hold talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on ways to boost Russia-Palestine economic ties.

Abbas and the Russian officials are slated to ink several intergovernmental agreements, said Fayed Mustafa, the Palestinian ambassador to Moscow.

Russia is among the countries which have pledged continued support for Palestinians’ legitimate right to establish an independent state.

“Russia has consistently advocated in favor of the earliest execution of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians for establishment of an independent, contiguous and viable state,” Putin said in a letter sent to Abbas in November 2014.

“We believe that Palestine’s acquisition of national sovereignty on the common international legal base will be an important factor in ensuring comprehensive, just settlement in the Middle East,” he added.

Some 135 governments have so far announced their official backing for Palestine’s sovereignty. Parliaments in major European countries, including Spain, France, Britain, Ireland and Portugal as well as the European Parliament have symbolically endorsed Palestine’s bid to be recognized as a state.

In November 2012, the United Nations General Assembly voted to upgrade Palestine’s status at the UN from “non-member observer entity” to “non-member observer state” despite strong opposition from Israel and the US.

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