Russia hails resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks

Russia welcomed the Israeli-Palestinian agreement to resume peace talks announced by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday. In response to the news Israeli and Palestinian negotiators would meet in Washington in the coming days to work out a formula to resume talks, the ministry said in a statement that Russia reiterated its belief the Middle East settlement could be reached solely by the Israelis and Palestinians. "Only Israelis and Palestinians may and must agree on all the aspects of Palestine-Israel settlement," it said. The ministry said such a settlement must be based on the UN Security Council's resolutions 242 and 228, decisions of the Middle East Quartet - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - and other recognized international norms. Kerry, following intensive shuttle diplomacy, said in Jordan's capital of Amman on Friday that the Israelis and Palestinians had agreed on a basis for returning to negotiations. Kerry held extended talks with top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat in Amman before speaking by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He later flew to the West Bank town of Ramallah to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.