As he met Palestinian Authority Chief during a journey to the Middle East, Russian President On Tuesday said that unilateral actions before the final peace settlement would harm the peace process.

As he met Palestinian Authority Chief during a journey to the Middle East, Russian President On Tuesday said that unilateral actions before the final peace settlement would harm the peace process.

Vladimir Putin met with Mahmoud Abbas during a stop in Bethlehem on a brief trip to the West Bank, a day after a stop in the occupied territories where he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres.

In a statement to the press after their meeting, Abbas urged Putin to help secure the release of dozens of Palestinians held in Israeli jails since before the Oslo Accords peace deal, and to host a peace conference in Russia.
"We asked our friends to help us to release our prisoners who were arrested prior to 1994, who it was agreed with Israel would be released, but have not yet been freed," Abbas said.

"We assured the president that the way to peace is through negotiations with Israel, and we continue to call for him to hold an international peace conference in Moscow, as we previously agreed."

Putin praised what he called Abbas's "responsible position," but cautioned that "any unilateral actions before the final peace settlement are counterproductive."
"It is necessary to demonstrate extreme reserve, and strictly follow obligations taken upon oneself," Putin added.

After his meeting with Abbas, the Russian head of state travelled on to Jordan, where he will hold talks with King Abdullah II.