Halt settlement activity

Russia supports actively the talks to restore the unity in Palestine, Russian Foreign

Minister Sergei Lavrov said after a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas here on Friday.

"We support actively the talks in Sanaa (Yemen) between (the movements) Fatah and Hamas. The lack of the Palestinian unity hampers the movement to peace," Lavrov said.

Abbas told a press conference the talks between Palestinian factions will be continued.

"The conflicting parties have not come to terms yet, but the timeframe is extended, and the talks will be resumed on Saturday," he said. "We cannot speak about a failure (of the talks), we hope for their success," he said.

Lavrov said that his country was completing the preparations for the conference, which would be a follow-up meeting to the Annapolis gathering.

The Russian minister noted that his country was holding talks with the international Quartet of nations, Israel and Arab countries in order to hold a successful conference.