A delegation of foreign ministers from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister in Moscow on Thursday. The meeting, which was chaired by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, aimed to mobilize international support for the Palestinian cause. Shoukry along with his Palestinian and Guinean counterparts and the Secretary General of the OIC discussed the Palestinian-Israeli peace process with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The OIC ministers pressed the issue of maintaining the Arab-Islamic identity of Jerusalem amid internationally rejected provocative Israeli attempts to Judaize the city. They also discussed developments on the Palestinian front, Egypt's efforts to reach a ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israelis, and the need to initiate serious negotiations between the two sides for establishing a Palestinian State. Egypt's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Lavrov stressed his country's traditional support for Palestinian rights, expressing its rejection of policies that aim to change the nature of the country. Lavrov said that Russia would seek, through the international quartet on the Middle East, which includes the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia, a resumption of the peace talks.
