Hamas leader received by Russian foreign minister in Moscow
08 February 2010
Khaled Meshaal, the exiled political leader of Islamist group Hamas, has met for talks with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. "We met to pursue our discussions, and our principal goal is to build on efforts brokered by Egypt to secure Palestinian unity," Lavrov told reporters at the start of the meeting. Meshaal, praised Russia for seeking a "reconciliation" between Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Fatah of Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas.
In an interview with the Russian newspaper ‘Vremya Novostei’, Meshaal accused the United States of attempting to sabotage reconciliation efforts. "We know that the US special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has recently put pressure on Mahmud Abbas and Egyptian officials,” he was quoted as saying, adding that if “Abbas reconciles with us than the United States will halt aid to the Palestinian administration."
Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, but Russia has maintained ties with it in recent years.
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