Russia to back Palestinian UN bid for statehood (AP)

MOSCOW ? Russia's envoy to the United Nations says Moscow will back the Palestinian bid to secure statehood at the U.N.

Vitaly Churkin told Rossiya-24 news channel in an interview aired Monday that the Russian government will back any approach that Palestine adopts in its effort to seek membership in the United Nations.

A vote on the Palestinian statehood is expected to take place later this year in the U.N. General Assembly. A decision there will be largely symbolic, but the Palestinians believe a strong international endorsement will boost their position in future talks with the Israeli government. Both Israel, and its key ally, the United States, oppose the Palestinian bid at the U.N.

Churkin said that Moscow has supported Palestine's bid for statehood since 1988.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110912/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_palestine

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