RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian Authority is getting ready to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bethlehem Jan. 23. Putin is scheduled to meet with President Mahmoud Abbas and visit the Church of the Nativity and the President Putin Palestinian Organization for Culture and Economy, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told Al-Monitor.

Putin’s visit to the West Bank is part of a regional tour that will also include a stop in Israel to participate in the Holocaust commemoration events and the 75th anniversary of the Soviet forces’ liberation of detainees from Nazi concentration camps.

The PA hopes the talks between Abbas and Putin will strengthen Russian-Palestinian bilateral relations and develop economic and political cooperation between them. The PA also hopes to encourage Russia to play a bigger role in the peace process with Israel.

Nofal said that Putin’s visit is important in light of the political developments in the region, the escalating crisis between the PA and the United States and deadlocked peace prospects. The importance of the visit also stems from Russia’s support for the two-state solution, which the US administration is countering in a series of decisions violating international law such as recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and its legitimization of settlements in the West Bank. As the PA is banking on Russia’s support, Abbas will invite his Russian counterpart to play a key role in the peace process.