Russia says Hamas leader Meshaal to visit Moscow

Thu Feb 4, 2010 9:05am EST

* Talks to focus on resumption of peace talks-Russia

* First official visit to Moscow since 2007

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MOSCOW, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal will visit Russia next week for talks on ending a Palestinian split and bringing about a resumption of peace talks with Israel, the Russian government said on Thursday.

Hamas, which is backed by Syria and Iran, has been shunned by the West over the Islamist group's refusal to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals.

"The main topic that will be discussed is the way to end the Palestinian divisions and how to resume the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told reporters in Moscow.

Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 in fighting with Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whom Israel and the United States have been trying to woo back to peace negotiations suspended since 2008.

Talks to reconcile Hamas and Fatah have yielded no results since Egypt began mediation in late 2008.

Meshaal's last official visit to Moscow was in 2007.

Various Hamas officials have at times indicated a willingness to negotiate a ceasefire with Israel, possibly decades long. But Hamas continues to say that it will not recognise Israel officially. (Reporting by Conor Sweeney, writing by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Noah Barkin)

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