Lavrov affirms Russia support for urgent ceasefire in Gaza and for opening humanitarian corridors

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with the heads of diplomatic missions of Arab countries accredited in Moscow and the representative of the League of Arab States to discuss developments of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Israeli aggression against Gaza Strip.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement today, said that Lavrov affirmed during the meeting in Moscow yesterday “Russia’s principled position in support for an urgent ceasefire, ensuring the protection of civilians, respecting international humanitarian law, opening humanitarian corridors, and organizing evacuation procedures from the Gaza Strip.”

Lavrov briefed the Arab ambassadors on the steps taken by Russia in the UN Security Council with the aim of “stopping the bloodshed and transferring the situation to the political and diplomatic channel.”

Lavrov stressed the need to “intensify international efforts in order to create conditions for the resumption of the full peace process, which is based on United Nations resolutions.”

For their part, Arab diplomats expressed their gratitude for Russia’s efforts aimed at calming the situation and providing humanitarian assistance to the residents of Gaza Strip.

They stressed rejection of politicizing work on this issue in the UN Security Council and of the confrontational stance taken by a number of Western countries on this issue.

O.M