Russia calls for lifting of Palestine's financial blockade

Moscow, Apr 6 (UNI) Russia today called for lifting of financial blockade of Palestinian National Authority (PNA) by the Western countries as soon as possible.

"Russia wants the heavy burden to be lifted off the Palestinians and we pursue this line at the meetings of the West Asian Quartet of international mediators and at other international forums," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and President Vladimir Putin's envoy to the West Asia Alexander Saltanov said at a briefing here.

The four international mediators on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are Russia, EU, US and UN.

Saltanov said so far no international decisions on sanctions against the PNA had been taken, while the blockade had been imposed by various countries individually.

"In any case, efforts have to be made to end the Palestine's blockade as soon as possible," Saltanov stressed.

He said the economic sanctions against the PNA aggravated the situation in the region, because "the suffering of the Palestinians has led to an upsurge of retaliatory violence, which 'negative forces' seeking to prevent a resumption of the dialogue between the Palestinians and Israelis are taking advantage of." He also said Russian Security Council secretary Igor Ivanov was going to visit Israel and the PNA Monday to discuss further steps in the peace process.

PNA's two leading political movements, Hamas and Fatah, agreed at a meeting in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on February 8 to form a national unity government, which was expected to lift financial blockade on Palestine by the Western countries.

UNI