Lavrov says attempts to drive Palestinian problem into impasse remain 'main trend' in Middle East

MOSCOW

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that "the main trend" in the Middle East remains attempts to drive the Palestinian issue "into a dead, hopeless impasse."

Speaking at a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, Lavrov stated that a peace plan promoted by US President Donald Trump has failed to prevent recurrent violence in the Gaza Strip, while other aspects of the proposal remain unclear.

"We welcomed this plan, which was primarily aimed as a first step at ending the bloodshed, solving the hostage problems, and exchanging the bodies of the dead, and in this sense, of course, this is a positive development," he said. "On the other hand, relapses of violence persist, and there is no clarity at all about the other components of this plan."

He noted that with the interests of many states now clashing in the region, he does not expect the situation to calm down in the near future.

Lavrov recalled that numerous initiatives emerged after the Arab Spring in 2011, when "the West decided to tear apart regimes that were objectionable to it."

Since then, he argued, there have been no trends that reassure those genuinely seeking to contribute to peace.

He emphasized that the Board of Peace, established on Trump's initiative, should focus on the "underlying causes" of the Middle East conflict.

"I would very much like this collegial body, which was created on President Trump's initiative, to really address the underlying causes of the conflict," Lavrov said.

He added, however, that the body's actual powers remain undefined.

"The Board of Peace has been established. A structure has been created that reports to the Peace Council, including an executive structure of Palestinian technocrats. What their real powers are is unknown," he stated.

Turning to Israel-Iran-US tensions, Lavrov expressed Moscow’s interest in the "full normalization of relations" between Iran and the Persian Gulf states.

He stressed that a military approach would not ensure regional security and that a peaceful settlement is essential.

"A military solution to the situation around Iran will not ensure the security of any state," he stated. "We believe that there should be a peaceful settlement here."

Lavrov added that "as in the case of Palestine, there is a temptation for some of the direct participants in the process to use force and finish off opponents, so to speak."

"But this is the wrong aspiration," he said.