Russia to give $2 mn for Palestinian refugees

Moscow, Aug 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia will allocate $2 million to the UN agency in charge of providing aid to the Palestinian refugees in 2013, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.

Moscow has recognised an independent Palestinian state since 1988.

"This decision derives from Russia's understanding of the importance of the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) which are aimed at lightening the burden of Palestinian refugees," the ministry said in a statement.

The problems of Palestinian refugees have been aggravated as a result of "complicated transformation processes in the Middle East," it said.

"We continue strongly proceeding from the assumption that the problem of refugees, as well as other issues of Israeli-Palestinian settlement, should become a subject of direct talks between the sides," the statement said.

Russia as a member of the Quartet of international mediators of the Israeli-Palestinian issue will continue seeking the early resumption of the negotiations, it added.

Talks between the Israelis and Palestinians have been stalled since September 2010, when Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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