RAMALLAH (AFP) — Europe will have to re-evaluate its links with the Palestinians in the event of a Hamas victory in next week's legislative elections, Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Monday.

Asked about how a Hamas victory would impact on future European financial aid to the Palestinian Authority, Moratinos told reporters in Ramallah that "the necessary evaluations" would have to be made and "a decision would be taken" with regard to funding.

But he, nonetheless, defended Hamas' right to run in the parliamentary poll and said Europe would honour the outcome.

"We will respect the result of these democratic Palestinian elections in which we believe all political groups should participate," said Moratinos who is a former European Union envoy to the region.

Moratinos' words echoed comments made last month by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana who said the 25-nation bloc would find it very difficult to channel funding to a group which appears on the European Union's terrorist blacklist.

"If Hamas wins, it will be very difficult for the European Union to continue offering help and money to the Palestinian National Authority," he said...