Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged the quartet of international mediators top recognise the results of Palestinian elections.

“Elections in Palestine should be conducted on the basis of recognition of the PLO platform and the Arab peace initiative by all parties to the election campaign,” he said on Monday.

“Those on whom the international aspect of settlement depends – primarily the quarter (Russia, the U.S., the EU, and the United Nations) – should say that they recognise the results of the elections and will not recreate the problems that arose when the democratic government created by Western countries at Saudi Arabia’s initiative was not recognised,” the minister said.

“There is little time left. The elections should be held not later than January 2010,” he said.

Lavrov said HAMAS should a solely political force and should give up the use of force in creating a Palestinian state.

“HAMAS is a political force. We all want the movement to be a solely political force and to give up the use methods associated with violence and terrorist manifestations, including attacks on Israel, when creating the Palestinian state,” the minister said.