MOSCOW, March 3 (RIA Novosti)-Representatives of the Palestinian organization Hamas sought to dispel its image as a radical movement after talks in Moscow Friday by pledging to maintain a responsible hand over finances and to honor agreements reached with the previous Palestinian leadership as part of the peace process.
The delegation, led by head of the movement's political bureau Khaled Meshaal, had arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov amid recriminations from members of the international community that the movement was a terrorist organization. Israel, which has been the victim of dozens of suicide bombings that the movement has claimed responsibility for, called Vladimir Putin's invitation to the capital a "stab in the back."
However, at a news conference after the talks, Meshaal was at pains to underline the commitments of Hamas to good governance principles, though he did play down any hopes of an early ceasefire agreement with Israel and urged the Jewish state to return to the borders of 1967.
After calling the negotiations "constructive and open," Meshaal sought to tackle the problem of corruption, which dogged the previous Fatah authorities and is widely credited with being a reason for the resounding Hamas election triumph in January. The official said any international aid would go to the Palestinian people and would be used to "bring life in Palestine to normal."
Lavrov said the Hamas delegation had been clear on this score and had suggested setting up an international mechanism to ensure that funds went to PNA accounts rather than officials' pockets. "Hamas gave us firm assurances that all the funds that flow into the autonomy will enter PNA accounts and Hamas will not use this aid for other aims," he said.
Lavrov said Russia, which is a member of the Middle East Quartet of peace negotiators and is the first global power to accept a Hamas delegation, had been "satisfied" with the talks and highlighted that the movement understood its responsibility after winning the January vote.
"It is important that the movement understands its responsibility as the winning party for law and order and security on Palestinian territories," Lavrov said.
"The obvious priority is to solve the most acute socio-economic problems of the Palestinian people," the minister continued, saying that these included poverty, unemployment and corruption.
He told the assembled press that the Palestinian delegation had sent a clear signal that it wished to maintain regional security to prevent any further destabilization of the region.
"The Hamas delegation gave us firm assurances that its main aim is regional peace and preventing an explosion of the situation that would lead to an impasse," the minister said.
However, this message seemed to stop short of reaching a ceasefire agreement with Israel. Meshaal said the movement had no particular enthusiasm for a deal and charged the Jewish state with killing former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in comments guaranteed to annoy Tel Aviv.
"Arafat was in talks with Israel for more than 20 years, but Israel killed Arafat," Meshaal said. "Do you want us to sit down to the negotiating table, and let Israel kill Hamas?"
But Meshaal took a more conciliatory line on the condition that Israel withdrew to the borders of 1967.
"I want to say here in Moscow that if Israel declares readiness and shows commitment to withdraw from the lands occupied in 1968, ensure the return of refugees, dismantle [Jewish] settlements, demolish the demarcation wall, and release prisoners, our movement will make steps toward peace," he said.
"We want peace in the region, but a peace based on justice and the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," he said. "This peace should be founded on the withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territories and the end of the occupation."
Lavrov said that the Hamas delegation had indicated it was willing to honor agreements struck by the former PNA leadership if Israel kept its side of the bargain.
"The Hamas leaders said they would honor earlier agreements, including the roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative, which stipulate recognizing Israel in exchange for resolving all issues [connected with] the occupation, but insisted the moves must be reciprocal," Lavrov said.
According to Lavrov, Meshaal said his organization was willing to cooperate with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in tackling problems facing the PNA and maintaining security.
"We conveyed to the Hamas officials the Quartet's position that the agreements laid down in the international mediators' statement in January 2006 must be fulfilled and Israel's right to be a partner in [peace] talks must be recognized, and violence renounced in addressing political issues," Lavrov said.
He said that the Hamas leaders had realized their responsibility for peace in the region, for promoting a process that must culminate in establishing a Palestinian state as a peaceful and prosperous neighbor of Israel.
