The meeting participants discussed, among other issues, matters of economic cooperation and the Middle East peace process.
Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Dmitry Medvedev: Mr President, colleagues and friends, welcome! I’m glad to see you again. Russia and the State of Palestine have special, friendly relations. The fact that we regularly meet and discuss the Middle East peace process and our bilateral relations is a good symbol of our friendship. We will, of course, continue to support the Palestinian nation in its desire to strengthen its statehood. In order to make this process irreversible, it is imperative to develop not only political cooperation, but bilateral economic ties as well. We discussed this during my visit to Palestine. You have also discussed this with President Putin now, so I suggest that we discuss some economic cooperation issues during this meeting.
A meeting with President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas
Mr President, I’d also like to welcome your intention, or your habit rather, of visiting different Russian regions each time you come to Russia. You’ve been in our Caucasian republics and the Volga Region. This time you will visit my hometown.
Welcome and enjoy your stay.
Mahmoud Abbas (via interpreter): I am glad to have this opportunity to visit your hometown. I’ve been there on many occasions, and everyone who has ever been in St Petersburg agrees that it is one the world’s most beautiful cities, if not the most beautiful.
The President and I discussed political and other issues. Being old friends, we get to know each other better each time we meet. We have no differences in views and no problems in our relations. However, in order to complement these relations, as you said, we must strengthen economic, political and financial ties, and, of course, we need to discuss regional issues. Recently, the Russian Federation began making gestures that demonstrate that Russia has its own interests and a firm position that it is promoting. I am, of course, referring to the issue of Syrian chemical weapons, Geneva I and Geneva II, and the recent developments regarding Iran's nuclear programme.
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