Syria Today | Russian Deputy FM condemns Israeli settlement activity

Russian Deputy FM condemns Israeli settlement activity

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov called on Israel to halt all settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories during a trip to Damascus from July 18-19.

Saltanov made the comments following meetings with Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Mu’allem and Hamas Political Chief Khaled Meshaal to discuss Moscow’s plans to host a Middle East peace conference before the end of 2009. The talks also focused on Syrian-Russian relations and Egypt’s ongoing attempts to broker a national unity government between Meshaal’s Hamas movement and the rival Fatah faction headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“Russia’s position is well known: we want Israeli settlements to stop in all their forms,” Saltanov told reporters at a press conference following the meetings.

The Russian Mideast envoy also urged Meshaal, who lives in exile in Damascus, to consider national interests above all others in order “to overcome the split [between Hamas and Fatah] and restore unity in Palestine as quickly as possible”.

Mu’allem echoed Saltanov’s comments, referring to “obstacles that Israel is putting in the way of peace” and reiterating calls on the international community to exert more pressure on Tel Aviv to respond to regional peace initiatives.

Syria and Russia have enjoyed strong relations since the Soviet era. Last month, a high-ranking Russian navy source told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Moscow plans to expand and modernise its Soviet-era naval site near Tartous to “support anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast”.

“Two tug boats from the Black Sea fleet will deliver a new berthing float to Tartous,” an unnamed source told RIA Novosti. “Following modernisation, the Russian naval maintenance site in Tartous will become fully operational.”

Roughly 50 naval personnel and three berthing floats are currently stationed at the base in Tartous, which can accommodate 12 warships. The site is Russia’s only foothold in the Mediterranean and Russian navy commanders have long been calling for its development. “The base in Tartous will provide all necessary support for the Russian warships which will be engaged in protecting commercial shipping around the Horn of Africa,” the official said.

According to the Russian Navy, the Tartous base significantly boosts Russia’s operational capability in the region. Warships stationed at Tartous are capable of reaching the Red Sea through the Suez Canal and the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar in a matter of days, RIA Novosti reported.