Russia: Quartet demands on Hamas unrealistic

International demands for Hamas to immediately renounce violence were unrealistic at present, Russian foreign minister said in an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) published by Kuwaiti daily Arab Times on Sunday.

"Demanding Hamas to fully accept the quartet's conditions, such as recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and accepting all existing agreements with Israel is unrealistic at the present stage," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the remarks in an interview with KUNA in Moscow on Saturday.

Lavrov added that the ruling Palestinian movement of Hamas could "move gradually towards accepting these conditions."

The quartet of international mediators includes the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia.

Clashes between the rival Palestinian movements of Abbas' Fatah and the ruling Hamas mounted after talks on a national unity government deadlocked over Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel.

Source: Xinhua