Moscow : Dialogue with Israel only way to Palestinian state

The establishment of a viable Palestinian state is only possible through peaceful dialogue with Israel and the UN should not be an alternative to a negotiated solution, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. "I am pleased to say that the Palestinians have stated unequivocally that their application to the United Nations is not an alternative to a negotiated settlement with Israel," he said, referring to a Palestinian bid to seek recognition as a state at the UN. The Palestinians believe they have the votes to pass the resolution in the 193-member General Assembly, which would elevate their status to a non-voting observer state from a simple observer. Negotiations are the only way of ensuring the creation of a full-fledged Palestinian state "that will live in peace and security with Israel and other countries in the region," Lavrov said. Russia sees no problem with regard to the recognition of a Palestinian state, he said. "Our country did that in the past century, and the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the State of Palestine has been working in Moscow," Lavrov said. Although the United States has said that it will veto any UN membership move by the Palestinians, the Palestinians have said they plan to move forward anyway.