Russia urges dialogue between new Palestinian Cabinet and Hamas

Moscow, June 18 (UNI) Russia today urged the new Palestinian Cabinet to make all efforts to get the situation in the region back to normal and develop dialogue with Hamas.

''In order to stabilise the situation, including humanitarian issues, and to put an end to the inter-Palestinian stand off after a week-long conflict between the two rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, a broad dialogue between all political Palestinian forces, including Hamas, should be initiated,'' Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last week dissolved the government led by Hamas's Ismail Haniya, and instructed Fatah member Salam Fayyad, former Finance Minister, to form a new emergency Cabinet.

The Cabinet was sworn in yesterday, and President Abbas declared all armed structures linked to Hamas illegal, accusing Hamas of starting the armed rebellion June 10.

The Quartet of international mediators on the Middle East conflict, which comprises Russia, the European Union, the United States and the United Nations, agreed yesterday that the Palestinian leader's decision to dissolve the coalition government and form an emergency Cabinet was legitimate.

UNI