Hamas chief in Moscow for talks on unity government
Moscow: Hamas leader Khalid Mesha'al praised Russia's efforts to end a Western aid embargo on the Palestinian administration yesterday during a visit to Moscow aimed at garnering support for a new unity government.
"Our goal is to encourage the international community to start cooperation with the Palestinian government and pressurise Israel to recognise the Palestinian state's right to exist," RIA news agency quoted him as saying on arrival.
"We value Russia's position towards lifting the blockade from which the Palestinian people suffer. We also value Russia's special position in the issues of the Middle East settlement."
Russia is the only member of the Middle East quartet, also made up of the United Nations, the United States and the European Union, which maintains ties with the Islamist group after it took over the Palestinian government last year.
Russia shares the quartet's demands on Hamas to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept interim peace deals.
But Moscow wants Hamas to be engaged in dialogue rather than isolated and has been critical of the Western aid embargo introduced after the group's election victory last year.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Hamas chief in Moscow for talks on unity government
Monday, February 26, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment