Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made an official visit Sept. 22 to Moscow, where he met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. They discussed the regional situation, Middle East events and Russia's role in the peace process, as well as the latest developments in Jerusalem and continuous Israeli attacks against Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Al-Monitor learned from an official who was part of the delegation accompanying Abbas that the president had a busy schedule during his visit. In addition to meeting with Putin, he met with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev; Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church; and Sheikh Rawi Ain Eddine, the head of the Russian Iftaa Council. Abbas also visited the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia and the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, and he met with Sergei Stepashin, chairman of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, in addition to meeting with Arab ambassadors in Moscow.

Abbas' visit to the Russian capital coincided with two important events: the violent clashes taking place in Jerusalem following Israeli settlers’ repeated break-ins at Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Moscow on Sept. 21, which focused on military developments in Syria without addressing the Palestinian issue.

The visit came in light of the deadlock on Palestinian-Israeli negotiations and the absence of US pressure on Israel to resume these negotiations. As the international community is preoccupied with other issues in the region, such as the war in Syria and the international coalition’s fight against the Islamic State (IS), Palestinians are concerned that the world might not be paying attention to their cause.