The latest developments in the Middle East Peace Process and the Conflict in Syria will be at the top of the agenda during a Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) High Level Mission to Moscow between 8 and 11 April, 2014.
This mission follows up on PAM’s strategic programme of meetings with the UN Secretary General, the UN Specials Envoys for the Middle East and Syria, and of dedicated consultations held in Quito, Damascus, Beirut, Amman, Ramallah, Jerusalem and Cairo.
“The current impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, following recent unilateral initiatives from both sides, is of particular concern to us. Likewise, our attention is also high on the humanitarian consequences of the hostilities in Syria, and therefore PAM is continuing to engage in a wide ranging exercise with all major international stakeholders to reduce differences in the Middle East, and to secure further humanitarian assistance and protection to the civilian population in Syria and neighboring countries. At the same time, PAM’s objective remains that of promoting and supporting lasting solutions”, PAM President, Sen. Francesco Amoruso commented.
The PAM delegation, lead by President Amoruso (Italy), and comprising parliamentarians from Morocco, Palestine, the Principality of Monaco and Syria, as well as PAM Secretary General and Deputy SG, will hold meetings with the Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, H.E. Sergey Zheleznyak; State Secretary – Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, H.E. Grigoriy Karasin; Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mikhail Bogdanov; and the Vice-Chairman of the Federation Council Committee for International Affairs, H.E. Andrey Klimov.
During the discussions, other issues of concern to the Mediterranean region and the strengthening of relations between PAM and the Russian Federation will be reviewed.
“PAM’s role, in a period of renewed tensions, has acquired further importance, where parliamentarians can contribute through soft diplomacy to facilitate, within a less critical and polarised approach, dialogue, confidence building and negotiations at the international level”, PAM Secretary General said.