Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Mideast envoy Alexander Sultanov held talks with exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Syria on Saturday night, the official Syrian Arab New Agency (SANA) reported. The two discussed the developments in the Middle East, Palestinian Authority (PA)-Israeli peace negotiations, and reconciliation of PA factions at the meeting which took place in the Russian embassy.

In a statement issued after talks, a Hamas spokesman called the talks "positive.”