ICP
ask Lavrov of
P5+1,
Cautiously
Optimistic,
&
Palestine,
Quartet
Dormant
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 26
-- When
Russian
Foreign
Minister
Sergey Lavrov
held a press
conference for
more than an
hour at the UN
on September
26, most of
the questions
focused on
Syria and
Ukraine. When
Inner
City Press was
called on, it
thanked Lavrov
on behalf of
the new Free
UN
Coalition for
Access,
then asked
about Gaza and
the P5+1 on
Iran.
Lavrov
replied on the
Iran nuclear
program talks,
“I remain
cautiously
optimistic. If
we look at the
drafting
process of the
text, we're
very close to
our goal but
there are
sections
remaining. The
devil is
in the
details..We
still have
time until Nov
24, the
dealine for
the
negotiating
teams and
we'll do our
best to ensure
that remaining
issues are
resolved.”
On
Palestine and
Israel, Inner
City Press
asked about
the dormant
Quartet and
the impact of
the lack of
resolution.
Lavrov replied
that “on
Palestine, I'm
convinced that
the fact it's
been
unresolved for
many years is
one of the key
factors that
helps
extremists
recruit...
Young people
are very
responsive, we
all know
how they
recruit
newcomers.”
Lavrov
said that
“Quartet was a
very useful
format.” He
said that in
addition to
the UN,
European
Union, US and
Russia the
Quartet should
bring on board
the League of
Arab States.
He said that
“the usual
routine was
for Quartet
after adoption
of statement
to invite
representatives
of the League
of Arab States
waiting at the
door and
read the
statement to
them. That is
impolite...The
League of Arab
States should
be a party to
the process.”
The
Quartet hasn't
met in 12
months. Lavrov
said, “this
initiative in
my view
remains key to
implementing
decisions
taken by the
UN and
other relevant
instruments.
Quartet hasn't
been convened
for over 12
months now, a
long time. The
parties agreed
to work with
mediation of
the US, asked
for 9 months
time to try
and achieve
results.
Unfortunately
they failed.
Then we tried
to put the
flames out in
Gaza...we
managed to
advance in
rebuilding
unity between
Fatah and
Hamas.”
During
this UN
General
Debate, Lavrov
said, “we
wanted to
convene a
Quartet
meeting on the
sidelines of
the UNGA this
week...they
decided
not to. We'll
continue
working, not
necessarily in
the format of
the
Quartet. If
someone is not
happy with the
format any
longer, okay.”
We'll
have more on
this -- later
today Iranian
President
Rouhani holds
a
press
conference.
Watch this
site.
, 
