MOSCOW. Feb 4 (Interfax) - The Hamas political leader, Khaled Mashaal, will visit Moscow at the beginning of next week for consultations at the Foreign Ministry, the ministry's spokesman, Andrei Nesterenko, said at a briefing.
"I can confirm that Mashaal will visit Moscow at the beginning of next week for consultations at the Foreign Ministry. The meeting will take place in the context of political dialogue, which Russia is conducting with influential forces in the Palestinian community," Nesterenko said.
The spokesman mentioned that Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the recognized leader of all Palestinians, recently visited Russia.
"His negotiations with the president of the Russian Federation confirmed the coincidence of views on and approaches to the overcoming of the crisis in the Middle East peace process," Nesterenko said.
The spokesman said seeking the reunification of the Palestinian independence movement after its present-day split was one of the main subjects the Russian leadership would discuss with Mashaal.
"Russia supports efforts that are being made to that end, including efforts by the Egyptian leadership, and takes any opportunity to help achieve Palestinian unity," Nesterenko said.
"Such unity, based on allegiance to the principles of political settlement, the charter of the Palestine Liberation Organization and to the Arab Peace Initiative, is the guarantee of the practical exercise of the indisputable right of the Palestinians to their own independent, viable state," he said.