MEMBERS OF SWEDEN'S RULING SOCIAL DEMOCRATS WERE AMONG PARLIAMENTARIANS SLATED TO MEET WITH ATEF ADWAN, A MEMBER OF THE HAMAS-LED PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT, LOCAL MEDIA SAID TUESDAY ACCORDING TO DPA. ADWAN, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF REFUGEE ISSUES, ARRIVED OVER THE WEEKEND AFTER A ROW ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE SWEDISH GENERAL CONSULATE IN JERUSALEM MADE A CORRECT DECISION TO GRANT HIM A VISA. ON SATURDAY HE ADDRESSED A CONFERENCE ON PALESTINIAN EXILES HELD IN SWEDEN'S THIRD LARGEST CITY, MALMO. SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER GORAN PERSSON EARLIER DEFENDED THE DECISION, SAYING IT WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SWEDISH CIVIL SERVICE RULES. HOWEVER, IT GENERATED CRITICISM FROM THE FRENCH AND ISRAELI EMBASSIES. PERSSON HAS UNDERLINED THAT NO GOVERNMENT MEMBERS WOULD MEET WITH ADWAN, NOTING THAT HAMAS IS LABELLED A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION BY THE EUROPEAN UNION. ADWAN TOLD SWEDISH RADIO TUESDAY THAT HE WELCOMED "A DIALOGUE," AND SAID THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT. "I REPRESENT NOT ONLY A PARTY, BUT ALL PALESTINIANS," HE SAID, ADDING THAT THE BOYCOTT AGAINST THE HAMAS-LED PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY HARMED THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, CITING SHORTAGES OF MEDICINES. IN ADDITION TO MEETING MEMBERS OF PERSSON'S SOCIAL DEMOCRATS, ADWAN WAS SLATED TO MEET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GREEN PARTY AND LEFT PARTY. ADWAN WAS QUOTED AS TELLING STOCKHOLM DAILY SVENSKA DAGBLADET THAT A JUST PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WOULD DEPEND ON NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE PARTIES IN THE CONFLICT, AND A FIRST STEP WOULD BE MUTUAL RECOGNITION. "THE LATE PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT AND HIS PLO RECOGNIZED ISRAEL, BUT ISRAEL HAS NOT RECOGNIZED US. A JUST PEACE HINGES ON MUTUAL RECOGNITION," ADWAN SAID.
