( dpa )- Jordanian Foreign Minister Salah Bashir conferred Monday with the Russian Middle East envoy, Alexander Saltanov , and urged Moscow to pressure Israel into halting its blockade of the Gaza Strip, according to an official statement.
"The foreign minister urged Russia, in its capacity as a member of the Middle East quartet, to put pressure on Israel for an immediate halt of its violations and collective punishment measures against Palestinian civilians," the statement said.
" Bashir warned that Israel's continuation of its violations against innocent Palestinians as well as its settlement activity... will result in the derailment of the peace process in the Middle East," it added.
Saltanov stressed his country's determination to play "an effective and balanced role" in the region, the statement said.