RAMALLAH, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday said that peace with Israel can happen only through negotiations.

"We still insist on holding the International peace conference in Russia," Abbas said during a joint press conference with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin in the holy city of Bethlehem.

The conference was suggested by Putin in 2005, although Israel and the United States coolly responded to it. After that year, Washington sponsored several rounds of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and the last round broke down in 2010.

The Palestinians insist that Israel stop Jewish settlement in the territories occupied in 1967, mainly the West Bank and East Jerusalem, before resuming the talks.

For his part, Putin reiterated his country's position that Russia has no problem to recognize an independent Palestinian state, a matter that Israel and the United States don't do.

The Palestinians seek recognition of their state though the United Nations, while Washington consider it a unilateral action. Putin said that the unilateral actions can be resolved.

"We need for more self-control and more commitment to the peace process. Self-control and commitment will certainly lead to hurrying up to achieve a political unity under Palestine Liberation Organization," Putin said.

Abbas said he had asked Putin for Russia's help to free the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, especially those who were arrested and sentenced before 1994.

Putin arrived earlier Tuesday in an hours-long visit to the Palestinian territories. He toured Bethlehem city in the West Bank and visited the Church of Nativity, Jesus' birthplace.

Putin and Abbas then headed to open a Russian cultural center in Bethlehem.

On Monday, Putin met Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who dedicated most of the discussions to the Iranian nuclear program.