OREANDA-NEWS. December 13, 2010. A telephone conversation took place on December 10 between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary General of the League of Arab States Amr Moussa at the latter’s initiative.

They focused mainly on the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli track of the Middle East peace process. Both parties voiced concern over the prolonged pause in the Palestinian-Israeli talks. The LAS Secretary General expressed disappointment at the stance of the Israeli leaders refusing to heed the international community’s opinion and extend the freeze on West Bank and East Jerusalem settlement activity. Moussa shared the sentiment prevalent in the Arab world in the run-up to a meeting of the Arab League Contact Group in Cairo in favor of submitting the Palestinian dossier for consideration by the UN as a move LAS members feel compelled to take in light of the ongoing colonization by Israel of occupied Palestinian territories, which, in effect, spells the end of any viable Palestinian state.

Lavrov confirmed that Russia invariably supports Palestinian efforts to establish their independent state through negotiations on the well-known international legal basis. The Minister briefed on contacts being carried out by the Russian side to this end, particularly for the realization of our initiative to hold a Quartet meeting, and spoke generally for reinvigorating coordinated collective international efforts to overcome the current impasse.

Agreement was reached to continue the regular exchange of views on the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli track, inter alia in the context of the forthcoming discussion of these issues at the League of Arab States.