LONDON (AP) -- Britain is reestablishing contact with the political wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hezbollah following the formation of a broad coalition government in Lebanon, the British government said Thursday.

The British Foreign Office said that it had established contact with the movement’s political wing but would still have no contact with its military wing.
Hezbollah on Friday said it rejected nearly a year of efforts by Britain to establish secret contacts with the Lebanese resistance movement, insisting instead that any talks be held in public.
The deputy leader of Hezbollah's political bureau, Mahmoud Komati, said that if Britain wants to engage the group, the talks should be held in public.
Britain cut off contacts with members of Hezbollah in 2005. The Foreign Office said it had reconsidered its position because of positive developments in Lebanon.
“Our objective with Hezbollah remains to encourage them to move away from violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in Lebanese politics, in line with a range of UN Security Council Resolutions,” the ministry said.
The ministry said that Britain's ambassador attended a meeting in Beirut in January alongside a Hezbollah lawmaker, and that the government was seeking to build relations with other Hezbollah members of Parliament.
Israel and the Islamic resistance movement Hezbollah fought a 34-day war in the region in 2006. More than 1,200 people in Lebanon -- most of them civilians -- died in the Israeli offensive on Lebanon.
After showing its military strength against Israel in 2006 Hezbollah became a partner in Lebanon's government with veto power over decisions.