Abbas to have talks with Putin

This Thursday, President Mahmoud Abbas and Russian President Vladimir Putin will have talks regarding a “plan to discuss key issues of bilateral cooperation and problems of regional security, including Middle East settlement.”The last time Abbas visited Russia was mid-March of 2013.Abbas added that Palestine is aware of Russia's important role and that he wants to “maintain contact with President Vladimir Putin and the Russian leadership".The United States' participation in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement does not mean Russia's role is decreasing, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas."The United States has been involved in the Palestine-Israel talks since the start and we hope its role will be effective and carefully weighed. At the same time, we would like other parties, such as Russia, the European Union, China and the UN, to play an influential role in these talks and in the general efforts to promote the political process, Voice of Russia reports.