Saying decision goes against normalized ties with Arab world, Sergey Lavrov says US should explain its future plans
Moscow expects the U.S. to clarify its controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital before the UN Security Council, Russia’s foreign minister said Friday.
"Today, in my opinion, the Security Council will meet on this topic. We hope that there our American counterparts will explain how and where they see future steps" in the wake of the decision, Sergey Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russia's official news agency TASS.
Lavrov's remarks came during a news conference at the OSCE foreign ministers meeting in Austria's capital Vienna.
He mentioned how U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday told Lavrov that the U.S. wants to conclude a "deal of the century " to solve the Palestinian-Israeli problem "in one stroke".
"We, of course, would like to understand what this will look like," Lavrov said.
The UN Security Council is set to hold a special meeting on the issue on Friday.
Lavrov added that U.S. President Donald Trump's decision contradicted Washington's plans to normalize relations with the Arab world.
Russia announced this April that it sees East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state and West Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel.
Wednesday’s dramatic shift in the U.S.’ Jerusalem policy has triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, and other Muslim countries.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
