Hamas delegation due in Moscow for talks March 3
Leaders of the Palestinian radical Islamic group Hamas will come to Moscow for talks on March 3, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday. The ministry’s special envoy to the Middle East, Alexander Kalugin, said that at the upcoming talks, Russian officials would try to persuade the Hamas leadership to renounce violence as a way of attaining independence for the Palestinian National Authority, and to recognize Israel’s right to exist. Hamas’ compliance with Palestinian-Israeli agreements signed before the group’s victory in the January 25 parliamentary elections would also be high on the agenda, Kalugin said. The delegation is expected be led by Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal. Full Story