A senior Hamas delegation is set to hold talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Middle East Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow on Friday.
“The visit is the first step before planning a future trip of a joint delegation including leaders from Hamas and Fatah as part of efforts to enhance contacts and coordination with Russia,” sources said.
The delegation includes member of Hamas politburo Musa Abu-Marzouq and chief of the movement’s external relations department Hussam Badran.
Abu-Marzouq told Asharq Al-Awsat Thursday that during its visit to Russia, the delegation will brief Russia on the agreements reached among the different factions to push the reconciliation process forward and start reforms, including preparations to hold Palestinian elections.
According to Abu-Marzouq, the delegation will also tackle Russian-Hamas relations. Moscow has on several occasions offered humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
“The movement hopes to enhance coordination and cooperation with Russia at several levels,” he said.
The Hamas official added that the delegation will also discuss the inter-Palestinian political reconciliation and the continued Israeli violations of the international law.
In a sign of improvement in relations between Palestinian factions, the delegation kicked off its visit to Moscow by holding a meeting with Palestinian Ambassador Abdel Hafiz Nofal.
Russian diplomatic sources said Moscow is working to protect its role in the Palestinian reconciliation process, by keeping all doors open for future meetings to push a political settlement in the Middle East forward.
Last March, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh held talks with Bogdanov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
