Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal (L) and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shake hands as they meet in Moscow Feb. 27, 2007. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    MOSCOW, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal on Tuesday called on the United States to change its policy toward the Palestinians and lift the aid embargo on them.

    "We call on the United States to change its policy and correct its bias in the region," Meshaal told a news conference in Moscow after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the Interfax news agency reported.

    "Should the U.S. government insist on continuing the blockade on Palestine, it will engender even more hatred of the United States in the region and not only in Palestine, but also in other Arab and Islamic countries," he said.

    Meshaal said Lavrov assured him of Russia's support for the formation of a national unity government based on the Mecca agreement.

    Hamas and the Fatah group agreed in the Saudi holy city of Mecca earlier this month to form a national unity government to replace the Hamas-led government in a bid to end the siege on the Palestinians.

    Lavrov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency saying: "We actively support the process and hope that the international community would do the same and lift the blockade on the Palestinians."

    Russia is a member of the Quartet of international mediators for peace in the Middle East. The other members are the United States, the United Nations and the European Union.

    After a meeting last week in Berlin, the Quartet reiterated it would only "support a Palestinian government committed to nonviolence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap." Hamas has so far refused to meet these demands.

    At the Berlin meeting, the United States and Russia were divided over lifting the aid embargo as the Palestinians began forming a new government to replace the Hamas-led one.

    U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Washington had not made any decision on whether to recognize the planned Palestinian unity government and would take a "wait-and-see" approach.