Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal said his movement would accept an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow. "If we are sent an invitation, we will accept it," Meshaal told a press conference in the Qatari capital.
Putin, on a visit to Spain, had earlier said he would invite Hamas leaders for talks, and insisted Russia was right to back a dialogue with the movement, which won a landslide victory in legislative polls last month.
"We are ready to work with all parties. Contacts with Hamas must continue. Today we have to recognize that Hamas came through the doors of power via legitimate means and also respect the choice of the Palestinian people," the Russian leader said, according to AFP. Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Putin said: "We haven't considered Hamas a terrorist organization. Today we must recognize that Hamas has reached power in Palestine as a result of legitimate elections and we must respect the choice of the Palestinian people."
Meshaal said "we salute the courageous Russian position and the declarations of President Putin ... in which he did not consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization. This stance would "lead to a certain balance" in international relations, given that "American influence has begun to weaken as a result of impasses in which the American administration finds itself," he added.
Putin's offer shocked Israel. "Israel supports the position of the quartet ... that there should be no political contact as long as Hamas does not recognize Israel, does not renounce terrorism and does not commit itself to the international agreements," said Israel's foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev. The quartet includes Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.
On his part, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington expected Russia to uphold international demands that Hamas give up armed resistance and recognize Israel's right to exist. "At this point we have sought some clarification from the Russians as to what exactly their intentions are, what their plans are," McCormack said.
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the international community on Thursday to give Hamas more time to change its policies before writing it off as a partner for Middle East peace. "We are at a very early stage of the game," he said. "Hamas won the election but they have never been in government. They need time to organize themselves."
