Damascus - A delegation of Damascus-based politicians from the radical Hamas group is planning a European tour, a senior Hamas leader said Wednesday, in a further sign of shifting European attitudes towards the group.

Ali Baraka, a senior Hamas politician based in Damascus, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that several European countries had extended invitations to the group, and that the delegation planned to accept them.

Baraka declined to name the countries or the exact dates of the visit, "for fear Israel would erect obstacles to prevent their happening."

He was speaking ahead of a meeting between a group of EU lawmakers from Greece and Italy and Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal in Damascus on Wednesday.

"The movement is coming to the realization that members of the EU parliament have a different stance regarding the Palestinian issue than does the United States," Baraka said.

"These visits mean that the EU is reconsidering its policy toward Hamas, and they are starting to listen to the opinion of the group, which was elected by the people in a democratic process," Baraka said.

Wednesday's meeting in Damascus is the second this week. On Saturday, a group of EU parliamentarians from Britain and Ireland met with Hamas political leaders in Damascus.

"We believe that we should start talking with Hamas, and the more the delay, the more the suffering," Irish EU parliamentarian Chris Andrew said on Saturday following the meeting.

The European Union added Hamas to its list of terrorist organizations in 2003 and froze the group's assets in Europe.

The Greek and Italian EU parliamentarians will also meet with leadership of the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) headed by Ahmed Jibril.

"The European delegations have sufficient boldness in their talks with the Palestinian resistance forces. Maybe they can correct past flaws in their policy towards the Palestinian people through this dialogue," Anwar Raja, a senior PFLP politician told dpa.

Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called for Europe to expand its contacts with the Lebanese opposition group Hezbollah.

"We need pragmatism and realism," al-Assad told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica in remarks published on Wednesday. "It is not important whether the West views Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. The important thing is that Hezbollah has weight in the region."

Al-Assad cited Britain's recent public confirmation that it had sought meetings with Hezbollah's political wing.

The Syrian president added that he was encouraged by US President Barack Obama's initial willingness to talk to people with whom the previous administration had refused to meet, and offered to be a mediator between the United States and Iran. (dpa)