This photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a parking lot on which a branch of Russian consular section will be built in West Jerusalem. Russia will open a branch of its consular section in Jerusalem as part of its agreement with the city, the Russian embassy and the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.(Xinhua/Chen Junqing)
JERUSALEM, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Russia will open a branch of its consular section in Jerusalem as part of its agreement with the city, the Russian embassy and the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.
According to the Russian embassy, the branch will be built on a plot in West Jerusalem, which the Russian Empire acquired in 1885. The move came after the two sides clarified the Russian land plot's boundaries and area in an agreement signed on May 18 after a "years-long process."
The Russian embassy said this step "fully serves the interests of further strengthening friendly multifaceted relations between Russia and Israel, as well as goes in line with our country's unchanging course towards a fair Middle East settlement."
Israel has controlled the western part of the city since its creation in 1948. In 1967, as part of the Middle East war, it captured the eastern part and declared Jerusalem its undivided capital.
The majority of the international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty in East Jerusalem, as most countries' embassies reside in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
In 2018, the United States opened its embassy in Jerusalem. A few countries later followed suit. ■
This photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a sign of a parking lot on which a branch of Russian consular section will be built in West Jerusalem. Russia will open a branch of its consular section in Jerusalem as part of its agreement with the city, the Russian embassy and the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.(Xinhua/Chen Junqing)
This photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a parking lot on which a branch of Russian consular section will be built in West Jerusalem. Russia will open a branch of its consular section in Jerusalem as part of its agreement with the city, the Russian embassy and the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.(Xinhua/Chen Junqing)
