Russian MFA: Jerusalem should be divided between Israelis and PalestiniansJune 5, 2011 - 17:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - On June 5, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the status of Jerusalem can be defined only after the borders between Israel and Palestine are demarcated and the refugee issue is resolved. "There will be no solution (to resolving the status of Jerusalem) without the border demarcation and the resolution of the refugee problem," Lavrov said. Russia believes that West Jerusalem should belong to Israel while East Jerusalem should go to Palestinians while holy sites could be placed under international control, Lavrov said. Any statements that Jerusalem will belong only to one side "will never work," Lavrov said, adding that inter-state format was a solution to the problem. The Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of West Bank, East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and want Israel to pull out its troops from the Palestinian territories occupied after the 1967 war. Israel, however, has refused to return to the 1967 borders and is unwilling to raise the issue of Jerusalem, which it says is the indivisible capital of the Jewish state, RIA Novosti reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. |