MOSCOW, Feb. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia said on Saturday contact with the militant Palestinian group Hamas needs to be established in order to restart the Middle East peace process.

    Russia is convinced it is necessary "to promptly establish contact with Hamas as an influential force in Palestinian society in order to restart the Palestinian-Israeli peace process based on the road map," a Foreign Ministry statement quoted the country's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov as saying.

    "Such a dialogue should ensure policy continuity in the Palestinian National Authority as soon as a new Palestinian government is formed. It is necessary to prevent violence and put the peace process with Israel back on track," Lavrov said.

    Russia's initiative to develop a dialogue with Hamas, which swept the recent parliamentary elections on the Palestinian territories, is aimed at advancing the goals of the international quartet on Middle East peace, Lavrov said.

    Lavrov has had telephone conversations with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana over the past two days to explain Russia's stand on its invitation to Hamas for talks.

    The United States sought clarification from Russia after President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he would invite Hamas leaders to Moscow for talks.

    "Lavrov offered further clarification of Russia's initiative ...He confirmed once again that our initiative is guided by the platform of the quartet of international mediators that was agreedupon in London on Jan. 30," the statement said.

    Russia is a member of the quartet mediating for peace in the Middle East, which also includes the United Nations, the United States and the European Union. The quartet has called on Hamas to renounce terror, disarm and recognize Israel's right to exist. Enditem