Russia says co-ordinated with China in Middle East politics

Russia has said on Thursday it is co-ordinating with China for its Middle East and North Africa policy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been in China this week, a country close to Russia.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has held meetings in Doha with Zhao Jun, the Chinese special envoy for the Middle East, discussing the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, who leads the Gaza Strip.

“There has been confirmation of the focus of Moscow and Beijing's contact towards a close co-ordination of efforts, in the interest of a political solution for this and other crises in the Middle East and North Africa”, is said in the Russian ministry's statement.

Russia considers itself a potential mediator between Israel and Hamas, who has sparked the current crisis after a surprise attack on October 7th in Israel, leaving 1,400 people dead.

Israel has responded with air strikes, which authorities in Gaza have killed more than 3,500 Palestinians and injured more than 12,000 others.

Moscow has tried to partly blame the United States for this crisis, Ukraine's most powerful allotments, to which Russia has launched war in February last year.

A UN Security Council resolution drafted by Russia calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, along with the evacuation of hostages that Hamas has taken to Israel for humanitarian access, and for safe evacuation of civilians, has failed to be approved Monday.

Violence against civilians and all acts of terrorism, not to be mentioned as Hamas, has been condemned in the resolution. / REL