MOSCOW. Dec 8 (Interfax) - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has reproached Russia with a "unilateral" pro-Palestinian stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"We believe that Russia is taking what is essentially a unilateral position on the Israeli-Palestinian problem," Lieberman, who is visiting Moscow, said in a statement released by the Israeli Embassy in Russia on Wednesday evening.
"I believe that any support for unilateral attempts to change the international status of either party [in the conflict] is counterproductive," he said, explaining that he was referring to "the admission of the Palestinian National Authority to UNESCO as a sovereign state."
Israel and Russia are divided on many aspects of the Middle East issue, the minister said.
At the same time, "the overall balance of Russian-Israeli relations for the 20 years after the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries is undoubtedly positive both in the sphere of political dialogue, in the economic and cultural spheres, and in a sphere as sensitive for us as the memory of the Holocaust and historical facts relating to it and to events of World War II," he said.
"We hope that next year we will resume our dialogue at the highest level and that the Russian president will pay an official visit to our country," Lieberman said.