In a possible change of official policy, the newly elected Palestinian party, Hamas, may accept terms of the "road-map" peace plan with Israel and agreements with its neighbor, including trading land for peace, according to the statement on Tuesday by Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke of the recent visit by Hamas to Moscow, saying that Hamas representatives voiced their potential support for the peace plan.
"We also heard from them that they would be ready to express their position on the road map and to hopefully endorse the road map - as drafted by the Quartet - without any reservations to be added to this road map," Lavrov said, according to Reuters and the Daily Star.
He added that Hamas also expressed willingness to support the Arab initiative on Middle East peace adopted the Arab League summit in 2002.
The Russian invitation to Hamas to visit Moscow had drawn protest by some, as many still consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
The Russian minister, however, defended Russia's decision, explaining that it was an important step towards progress in the Middle East and that the official position of the so-called 'Quartet' be conveyed to Hamas representatives directly.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, was quick to point out that he would not accept the establishment of a Palestinian state with further unilateral withdrawals on Israel's part, as was the case in the Gaza Strip, nor a Palestinian state with temporary borders.
"Any solution must be negotiated. We will not accept a repeat in the West Bank of what happened in the Gaza Strip," Abbas said.
