Palestinian President Abbas travels to Moscow for talks with Putin
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is traveling to Moscow on Monday for a visit. Abbas will arrive in the evening and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Palestinian Ambassador to Moscow Abdel Hafis Nofal told the TASS news agency on Sunday. Before his departure on Wednesday, he will meet with ambassadors of Arab states.
The main topic of the talks with Putin will be "the situation in Gaza," Nofal said. "We will discuss Russia's role and what can be done. Our situation is very difficult, and Russia is a friendly country," he added. Abbas will also meet with Arab ambassadors before his departure. Abbas' visit to Russia, which was scheduled for November, was postponed.
A source in Abbas' cabinet confirmed his visit to Moscow to AFP and said he will then travel to Turkey to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and speak before the parliament in Ankara. Abbas is a leading figure in the moderate-secular Fatah party, which rivals the Islamist Hamas.
Abbas' trip comes just days after Israel's latest attack on a school in Gaza City on Saturday, which sparked international condemnation. The Gaza Strip's civil defense said the attack killed 93 Palestinians, including children. Israel said it killed 19 fighters from Palestinian organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Russia expressed "deep shock" after the attack and condemned the "systematic" attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Moscow has long sought good relations with all major players in the Middle East, including Israel and the Palestinians. However, since the start of the Gaza conflict, it has strengthened ties with Iran and Hamas and has repeatedly criticized Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip.
What is the main topic of Abbas' talks with Putin in Moscow? The situation in Gaza is a cause for concern, and we will discuss Russia's role and potential actions to help alleviate our difficult situation.
