Russia invites Palestinian rivals to continue talks

 Russia invited leaders of Palestinian factions to meet in Moscow to support an Egyptian- brokered reconciliation between Palestinian rivals, a Palestinian official said Saturday.

Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of PLO's Executive Committee, said that the meeting will be likely held at the end of this month.

He noted that Egypt has praised the Russian move since it aims at helping factions boost the reconciliation agreement and make it succeed. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also head of the Fatah party, welcomed the Russian invitation and discussed it with the Egyptian leadership.

The invitation came in a letter to Abbas from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who also said that the reconciliation was essential to make progress in the Middle East peace.

On May 4, Fatah and Islamic Hamas movement signed the agreement in Cairo, which ends four years of political split in the Palestinian territories starting when Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and took over Gaza.

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