Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has arrived in Russia ahead of talks with President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Top of the agenda is likely to be Russia's financial aid for the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.

Funding dried up from the US and Europe after Hamas won elections earlier this year.

But Russia has continued its funding, saying it would be wrong to isolate the Palestinians even with Hamas in charge.

Unlike Washington and Brussels, Moscow has refused to condemn Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

It even invited Hamas leaders to Moscow for talks two months ago

Last week, Russia transferred 10 million US dollar in emergency funds to the authority, which is in deep financial crisis.

More than 165,000 workers have not been paid for two months.

In the wake of the scrapping of direct financial aid by the EU and US, a temporary international aid mechanism was negotiated at the UN last Tuesday.

Palestinian ambassador to Russia, Baker Abdel Munem, said Monday's talks would be a "meeting of two friends".

Hamas spokesman, Ali Barakat, quoted by the Tass news agency, thanked Putin for his support of the Palestinian people and said he hoped the meeting in Sochi would "invigorate the situation in all areas".

PHOTO CAPTION