Region | Palestinian Territories
France admits ambassador held talks with Hamas
France said on Monday it had held talks with Hamas, in an apparent softening of its support for the US-led policy of isolating the Palestinian Islamist group.
- Agencies
- Published: 13:10 May 19, 2008
Paris: France said on Monday it had held talks with Hamas, in an apparent softening of its support for the US-led policy of isolating the Palestinian Islamist group.
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner confirmed a report in the French daily Le Figaro quoting a retired ambassador who it said had met senior Hamas officials last month.
"It would be difficult to deny it since the man who is in touch with them has spoken," Kouchner told Europe 1 radio.
Kouchner played down the talks between France and Hamas. "They are not relations. They are contacts," he said.
"Having contacts is necessary. We had some before the invasion [takeover by Hamas] of Gaza," he said.
The move could annoy Washington, which was irritated by former US president Jimmy Carter's meeting in April with Hamas leader Khaled Mesha'al.
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