20 January 2003 00:00
ALEXANDER YAKOVENKO, THE OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN OF RUSSIA'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ANSWERS A RUSSIAN AND FOREIGN MEDIA QUESTION ABOUT RECENT LONDON CONFERENCE ON PALESTINIAN REFORM
Question: How does Russia assess the results of the international meeting on Palestinian reform which has recently been held in London?
Answer: Our assessment of the London conference is positive. We hold that it was constructive and useful, and this view is shared by all the parties who took part in it. Participating in it from our side was the Russian Foreign Minister's special representative for Middle East settlement, the ambassador at large, Andrei Vdovin.
Even though communication with the Palestinians was for well-known reasons by video conference, which, undoubtedly, narrowed the framework of the dialogue, it has been possible to reconstruct the state of affairs as of now with regard to the process of reform in the Palestinian National Authority. The Palestinian representatives briefed on what top-priority tasks they set for themselves and told the conference what has already been done. We regard as the most important point the confirmation by the PNA leadership that they resolutely condemn terrorist actions and consider unacceptable the force-based methods of solving disputes.
From the conference results it is now clearer whither the consolidated efforts of the international community should be directed in the field of Palestinian reform assistance. The participants have only become confirmed in their view that the PNA reform process cannot proceed without effective actions by its leadership in the field of security, and that Israel should, in its turn, take reciprocal steps and avoid actions hindering the transformation of Palestinian institutions.
On the whole we presume also that the reform process can advance further only if efforts by the Palestinians themselves and the international community are seriously buttressed by consistent steps in the political sphere of the Middle East peace process, by efforts leading to the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state. The scheme of actions for both parties to the conflict in advancing toward this goal is contained in the road map agreed upon by the Quartet of international mediators -- Russia, the United States, European Union and the United Nations.
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