MOSCOW, June 26, 2014 – President Mahmoud Abbas received Thursday an honorary degree from the Russian Diplomatic Academy in Moscow on the occasion of the 40th anniversary for establishing the Palestinian-Russian relations.

Abbas received the honorary degree from President of the Russian Diplomatic Academy Evgeny Bazhanov in a ceremony that was attended by a host of Russian officials and diplomats, including the former Russia Ministers Yevgeny Primakov and Sergi Stepashin, Russian President's Special Representative for the Middle East, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Bogdanov.

In his speech, Abbas stated: “I will cherish this honorary degree conferred upon by a well-established academy from which thousands of Russian diplomats graduated and served worldwide, which has contributed in promoting friendship among peoples, disseminating the culture of peace and justice and maintaining security and stability in the world.”

He added that the Palestinian-Russian relations have developed on all levels and that the Kremlin’s political positions have unequivocally contributed to advancing ways to achieve peace, noting that the Kremlin has made such a contribution through their unwavering and preliminary position in the Quartet to support the Palestinian people’s rights as well as the two-state solution.

Commenting on the deadlocked peace process, Abbas expressed his willingness to resume negotiations for another nine months should Israel release the fourth batch of pre-Oslo prisoners, provided that the first three months be dedicated to drawing up borders in line with 1967 borders and that Israel halts settlement activity meanwhile. 

Meanwhile, Abbas awarded 28 Russian officials together with the first PLO Representative to Moscow the late Mohammad Al-Shaʻer orders and medals in recognition of their important roles in the advancement of Palestinian-Russian relations and supporting the Palestinian people’s just rights.

K.F./T.R.