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Putin first to meet with hamas { February 9 2006 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/59474f34-9984-11da-a12a-0000779e2340,dwp_uuid=99eafd16-a001-11d8-81c6-000e2511c801.htmlhttp://news.ft.com/cms/s/59474f34-9984-11da-a12a-0000779e2340,dwp_uuid=99eafd16-a001-11d8-81c6-000e2511c801.html
Putin suggests meeting with Hamas
By Leslie Crawford in Madrid and Harvey Morris in Jerusalem
Published: February 9 2006 16:06 | Last updated: February 9 2006 19:21
Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, on Thursday said he would invite leaders of Hamas, the victorious Islamist party in last month’s Palestinian elections, to Moscow to discuss the Middle East peace process.
By extending the invitation, Russia has become the first member of the international Quartet, sponsors of the “roadmap” peace plan, to openly engage with Hamas.
But diplomats from the other members of the Quartet – the European Union, United Nations and the US – said they had no advanced warning of the invitation to Hamas, which had not been co-ordinated in advance with Russia’s international partners.
The Bush administration, which, along with the EU, lists Hamas as a terrorist organisation, initially seemed unaware of Russia’s overture. But David Welch, a senior State Department official, said Russia should remain committed to the principles set out by the Quartet; that Hamas must recognise Israel, renounce violence and uphold accords made by previous Palestinian administrations.
The US and EU have said that they will not deal with Hamas until it renounces violence and recognises Israel. The UN has also called on the Islamist movement to lay down its arms.
“We need to recognise that Hamas has come to power as a result of a legitimate election and we need to respect the will of the Palestinian people,” Mr Putin said. “To burn bridges would be the simplest action, but it lacks perspective.’’
Mr Putin did not specify a date for the meeting but a trip to Moscow would be a diplomatic coup for Hamas leaders, who have so far not been welcome outside the Arab and Islamic world.
Ismail Haniya, one of the movement’s leaders in Gaza who was elected to parliament last month, said on Thursday: “If we receive an official invitation to visit Russia, we will visit Russia.”
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said in Jerusalem there should be no talks with Hamas until it recognised the Jewish state’s right to exist, “renounced terror” and accepted the Middle East peace process.
EU diplomats noted Russia had been pushing for some time to boost its role in the Middle East, an area in which it was historically important in the days of the Soviet Union. “Russia having a higher profile is completely compatible with the policies we have all agreed,” said one EU official.
He noted that, in spite of Russia’s reluctance to follow the US and the EU in classifying Hamas as a terrorist group, Moscow was an active member of the quartet on the Middle East, and had signed up to a post-election quartet statement that calls on Hamas to renounce violence and recognise Israel.
Observers argue that Russia and the western powers cooperate on a day-to-day basis on relatively few major issues, chief of which is Iran’s nuclear programme.
Additional reporting: Daniel Dombey in Brussels and Guy Dinmore in Washington
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