SOCHI, May 15 (RIA Novosti) -Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will meet Russia's president Monday to focus on reviving dialogue in the Middle East and resuming financial aid to the Palestinian Authority, a Kremlin official said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will receive Abbas in his residence outside the Black Sea resort of Sochi to focus on restarting the peace process, which stalled after the radical Hamas movement swept to power in the January general elections in Palestine.
"The talks will take place at an extremely difficult and important time, when joint efforts have to be intensified to prevent the situation on Palestinian lands following this year's elections in Palestine and Israel from degrading into an open confrontation," a Kremlin source said.
The Kremlin official said financial aid to Palestine, where some employees have gone two moths without wages, would also be central at today's talks.
The United States and the European Union have suspended aid to the Palestinian government, dominated by Hamas, as they - unlike Moscow - classify it as a terrorist organization. Israel has also stopped transferring tax receipts to the PA it collects on its behalf.
Russian television has shown pictures of doctors talking about how the lack of money has led to major shortages of basics such as plasters and needles.
Russia, which received Hamas leaders in March and called on the movement to recognize Israel and renounce violence, said it would be wrong to halt aid to the Palestinians and provided $10 million last week in emergency aid for social and humanitarian needs.
"In view of the deteriorating socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, the Russian government has decided to provide financial aid to the Palestinian National Authority, totaling $10 million," the Foreign Ministry said May 4, adding that the funds had been transferred to an account with Abbas's office, and the transaction had been coordinated with the other mediators and donors.
The Quartet of intermediaries in the Middle East peace process - Russia, the EU, U.S. and UN - has since agreed to resume aid and is to finalize a mechanism of transferring money to ensure that it is used appropriately.
