Ref:
13/2011

On
Sunday, 20 March 2011, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) received
Maxim Romanov, third Secretary / Political Section Representative Office of the
Russian Federation to the Palestinian National Authority. Mr. Hamdi Shaqoura, PCHR Deputy Director for
Program Affairs, and Khalil Shahin, Director of PCHR’s Unit of Economic and
Social Rights, received the Russian delegation. During the meeting, the
situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and the
continued Israeli violations committed against Palestinian civilians and
against their property were discussed. In addition, the impact of the total
Israeli closure imposed on the oPt, especially the separation between the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as the institutionalization of the closure
imposed on the Gaza Strip were discussed in the meeting. Shaqoura and Shahin
demanded that the Russian Federation, as members of the International Quartet,
play a role that results in the total lifting of the closure imposed on the
Gaza Strip. They explained that this will help Palestinian civilians to live
normal lives and will enable the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Shaqoura and
Shahin also explained that they hope that the Russian Federation will support
the Palestinian efforts aimed at achieving Palestinian reconciliation, noting
that the Russian Federation has a historic relationship with the Palestinian
people and with the different Palestinian political parties.