Vladimir Putin met at his Moscow Region residence of Novo-Ogaryovo with President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, who is in Russia on a working visit.

Mr Putin and Mr Abbas Abbas MahmoudPresident of the State of Palestine discussed key aspects of Russian-Palestinian relations and the situation in the Middle East and North Africa.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends, it is a great pleasure to see you.

Ten years have passed since you were elected the leader of Palestine. Over this time, you have done a great amount of work to stabilise the internal political situation and the economy. These have been very difficult years.

At the same time, it is very pleasing to see that relations between Palestine and Russia have been growing steadily and are becoming stronger all the time. Now, when the situation in the region has become more complicated, it is particularly important to consult with you on all the issues at hand. I am referring above all to Israeli-Palestinian relations, but I would also like to discuss with you the situation in Syria and Iraq and also the latest developments in Yemen.

Welcome!

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