Abbas arrived in Moscow on April 5 on a four-day visit, his second trip to the Russian capital in less than four months. On Monday, he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and efforts to create a united Palestinian government.
The Palestinian leader also expressed his gratitude to Russia for its assistance following Israel's three-week offensive on the Gaza Strip earlier this year. "The people feel and are aware of the assistance," he told Medvedev.
He also said that he hoped a planned conference on the Middle East would be held in the Russian capital in the near future.
"I believe that we need to hold a Middle East conference in Moscow as soon as possible," he told the Vremya Novostei newspaper. "It has already been delayed too long."
"We hope that international efforts will be channeled into one stream, the aim of which is to establish peace in the Middle East," business daily Kommersant reported Abbas as saying on Tuesday.
Kommersant also said that Russia was looking at the possibility of combining the Middle East conference with U.S. President Barack Obama's visit in July.
Russia has been attempting to send the Palestinian administration 50 military transport vehicles. However, Israel has refused to allow them into the Palestinian territories. According to Abbas, Israel is now ready to allow the vehicles in if they are stripped of weaponry. Russia has also promised to deliver two helicopters.
"These helicopters are needed in order to move around in the Palestinian territories," Abbas told Kommersant. "For example, I need to get from Ramallah to other cities in the West Bank."
According to the daily, the Palestinian leader has also been promised firearms, including 5,000 assault rifles, 1,000 pistols and 300 machineguns.
