Palestinian groups find common ground in Moscow talks: PLO

By Qais Abo Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - A Palestinian leader participating in the Moscow reconciliation talks between Palestinian groups said Friday that the groups' positions are "convergent" regarding several issues.

"The first session commenced on Thursday attended by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, followed by a meeting to listen to the speeches of the delegation heads," Wassel Abu Yousef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told Anadolu.

"The groups' stances on many issues were somewhat convergent," he added.

He noted that "a meeting for in-depth discussions" is scheduled to start on Friday, describing the atmosphere of the Moscow talks as "positive."

In a fresh initiative, Russia invited on Feb. 16 the leaders of Palestinian groups for talks in Moscow starting from Feb. 29 and extending until March 1-2, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

On Thursday, the Palestinian groups held their first session of the Moscow meeting, attended by Lavrov.

The Palestinian arena has been suffering from political and geographical division since 2007, with Hamas controlling the Gaza Strip, while the West Bank is governed by a government formed by Fatah, led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio