The fundamentalist group Hamas has welcomed an appeal from Italian Premier Romano Prodi not to isolate the Palestinian movement.
A statement from Hamas on Monday said it was "ready to open frank dialogue with the international community as desired by Italian Premier Prodi".
"We greatly appreciate the role played by Italy which in the past has urged dialogue with our movement".
In remarks at the weekend, Prodi observed that "Hamas exists. It is a very complex reality and we must help it evolve so it can work for peace. And this must be done openly with the utmost transparency".
Prodi recalled that in his recent talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas he had stressed the need to "take the most difficult steps towards peace".
In order to jump-start the peace process, he observed, "it is necessary to speak with everyone involved, even with the so-called bad guys' in the area. In other words Syria, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah".
"There can be no peace if the Palestinians are divided," he added.
In its statement, Hamas said "the West is beginning to understand it was a mistake not to deal with Hamas in the past. We hope that the views of the Italian premier will be listened to in the European Union".
Hamas, which won the last Palestinian general election, seized the Gaza strip by force earlier this year and kicked out the al Fatah movement, with which it had a power-sharing agreement.
Al Fatah still continues to control the West bank territory and is the only authority recognised by the international community, including Israel.
