Russian President Vladimir Putin ended a two-day visit to Spain pledging closer cooperation with European partners on fighting terrorism in the context of respecting international law while also inviting Hamas leaders to Moscow.

"We intend to accelerate common support for the fight against terrorism, organised crime, weapons trafficking and the circulation of illicit narcotics," Putin told the Spanish senate before signing a bilateral anti-terror agreement with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

"In adopting and realising measures in the fight against terrorism, states must insure these conform to engagements pertaining to international law and notably international laws in the domains of human rights, refugee rights and international humanitarian rights," the leaders said in a joint declaration.

As part of his strategy to place Russia centre stage in a year when it has assumed the chairmanship of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized democracies, Putin extended an invitation to radical Islamic group Hamas to come to Moscow following their January 25th Palestinian general election success.

Zapatero backed the move, which Hamas' spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, said it would happily accept as an opportunity to "explain its position and its vision regarding Israel's deceptive policies."

The Russian invitation is in stark contrast to Washington's view that Hamas should not be courted unless and until it renounces violence and recognizes Israel, while Israeli officials have also ruled out talks until those conditions are fulfilled.

In their declaration, Putin and Zapatero said their countries "firmly condemn terrorism in all its forms".

For Zapatero, "President Putin will have a key role regarding Middle East dialogue for peace, as he will for the situation in Iran."

Iran's nuclear energy programme has moved the International Atomic Energy Agency to vote in favour of reporting the country to the UN Security Council amid fears its nascent nuclear energy program is a cover for a future nuclear weapons program, a charge the Iranians deny.

Putin and Zapatero signed eight accords covering fields including energy, trade and tourism.

Energy was a key focus of the pair's discussions. Russia is Spain's biggest supplier of crude oil, although Spain is not reliant on Moscow for gas.

Putin's first visit to Spain since 2000, the year he took office, had been long on protocol but short on substance ahead of the anti-terror declaration and move to offer Hamas a dialogue.

The Russian president did not, for example, bring along the traditional business delegation despite calling for greater bilateral trade.

However, he did meet with Spanish businessmen, including Antonio Brufau, head of energy giant Repsol, and Ignacio Sanchez Galan, chairman of power firm Iberdrola on the sidelines of his official agenda.

With the EU only too aware of its increasing dependence on Russian energy supplies following a Russian-Ukrainian row over gas prices that saw supplies to Europe cut drastically for several days, Putin underlined the importance of energy security.

"We consider the issue of energy security to be a priority," he said.

He noted that the handling and export of atomic and nuclear energy, natural and liquid gas and oil would feature prominently at the G8 summit that Russia will host this summer in Saint Petersburg as import-dependent states seek to guarantee access to supplies.

Human rights groups have protested in Madrid against Putin's visit because of the military clampdown in the breakaway Caucasus Republic of Chechnya, where NGOs say some 100,000 people have been killed in two wars over the past 11 years.

"We are in the process of resolving these issues and Spain's experience is an important lesson we can draw on," Putin insisted.