Russia voices 'serious concern' at US Jerusalem move

Moscow, Dec 7 (AFP) Russia expressed "serious concern"today over US President Donald Trump's decision to recogniseJerusalem as the Israeli capital,...

Moscow, Dec 7 (AFP) Russia expressed "serious concern"today over US President Donald Trump's decision to recogniseJerusalem as the Israeli capital, saying the move threatenedsecurity in the region.

"Moscow views the decisions announced in Washington withserious concern," the Russian foreign ministry said in astatement, adding that it risked aggravating alreadycomplicated Israeli-Palestinian ties as well as securityrisks.

"In light of this we call on all involved parties to showrestraint and forgo any action that would be fraught withdangerous and uncontrollable consequences," the foreignministry said.

Moscow reiterated its long-held view that a solution tothe dispute over Jerusalem's status should be negotiatedthrough "direct Palestinian-Israeli talks".

Trump's defiant move, making good on a core campaignpledge, ended seven decades of US ambiguity on the status ofthe city, which is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians.

Moscow said earlier that it considered East Jerusalem tobe the capital of a future Palestinian state, and the west ofthe city the capital of Israel.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967,and later annexed East Jerusalem in a move that has never beenrecognised by the international community. (AFP)CPS.

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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