By NNN-KUNA
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has expressed optimism about the prospects of securing the two-state solution in the Middle East — a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.
The prime minister also pledged to Arab ambassadors to Britain who hosted a dinner in his honour late Monday night in Bournemouth, southern England, on the fringe of the Labour Party conference, that he will do his best to move the peace process forward.
The prime minister was speaking after delivering his keynote address to the party’s annual conference, which was dominated by his vision for Britain’s future.
At hand to receive him upon his arrival to attend the reception and dinner with the Arab envoys were the ambassador of the UAE Easa Al-Gurg, who is the Dean of the Arab Ambassadors in London, and Kuwaiti ambassador, who is also the Dean of the Foreign Diplomatic Corps, Khaled Al-Duwaisan.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was also present, alongside several Labour MPs and members of the House of Lords who are interested in Middle East affairs.
In addition, Arab ambassadors, diplomats, and representatives of the Arab community in Britain were also present at this important event.
In his remarks over dinner, Brown hailed the strong and close ties between the Arab world and Britain in political, economic and cultural fields. He was hopeful that these links will be strengthened in the years to come.
He thanked the Arab ambassadors for hosting this event, saying it is a privilege for him and his wife Sarah, who was also present, to be among them Monday night.
“I wanted to thank you Arab ambassadors for working to develop these ties.” The prime minister equally believed that this work will also help the cause of peace and prosperity of the world as a whole.
The British leader said that he was pleased that Britain will welcome in November an official visit by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. “I very much look forward to welcoming him in our country and hope that the relationship between the two sides will be enhanced further.”
The prime minister highlighted the stronger “push for peace” in the region, while voicing his hope that the Arab initiative, which was launched by King Abdullah, would be part of the basis of the discussions that will take place in the next few weeks.
He paid tribute to the work undertaken by his predecessor, the current envoy of the Quartet in the Middle East Tony Blair, and the great deal of time and energy he is exerting to achieve peace in the region.
The prime minister then referred to the Road Map for improving the Palestinian economy which Britain launched recently. The work on this document started when he was Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Secretary), with a view to help the Palestinian economy and underpin progress in security through economic development and prosperity.
Brown also said he was optimistic that Britain could put forward proposals that could work alongside the political and security negotiations to help the Palestinian economy.
For his part, the Foreign Secretary said that at the present time “we are witnessing a defining challenge and a crunch point about how to deliver a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel and a stable Middle East.”
Miliband attached great importance to the UN Security Council resolution 242 which was passed nearly 40 years ago and is considered the foundation of so many other resolutions “that led to wide consensus for peace in the Middle East.”
The Minister then referred in his brief address to the Arab ambassadors to what he called “the Israeli fear and Palestinian suffering”, making it clear that resolving these two major problems is at the heart of achieving a just peace in the Middle East. “If we do not act soon, the window of opportunity will close” to make progress in the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, Miliband emphasized.
He also highlighted the importance of the Arab peace initiative and the international conference to be hosted by the United States in Washington this November to help resolve the Middle East problem.
Miliband said that the next three or four months represent an opportunity “which, if we do not seize, will leave us in more difficulties.”
“The hope of the two-state solution is there, and if it disappears this will leave us in a more difficult situation,” he added.
The Foreign Secretary also spoke about the need to strengthen peace and security in Lebanon, saying, “The future of Lebanon is very important for the whole region.”
The UAE ambassador had earlier welcomed Brown and his wife and congratulated him on his appointment as prime minister. Al-Gurg referred to the importance of resolving the Arab-Israeli dispute on the basis of land for peace as manifested in King Abdullah’s peace initiative and the Arab declaration in that respect.
The envoy welcomed the British government’s recent initiative towards improving the Palestinian economy and linking both the economic and security agenda as “a step in the right direction.”
Referring to the strong ties between Britain and the Arab world, the UAE ambassador hoped that this will pave the way towards more prosperity and stability throughout the Middle East. “We all pray that this year we will see positive steps towards a lasting peace being achieved,” Al-Gurg concluded.