ACCORDING TO THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT, Talks between Meshaal and Lavrov were expected to focus on ways to revive the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue and reach an inter-Palestinian settlement.
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.
In 2006 the Islamist group won the Palestinian parliamentary election and formed a unity government that was placed under embargo by Israel and the West.
But in 2007 Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip 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. |