Blair: Viable Palestinian state nearer
Tony Blair said today that he believed the “foundation stones” for a viable Palestinian state had been laid.
Mr Blair hailed Palestinian reform commitments made at a conference in London today as a “significant step” towards a lasting settlement in the Middle East.
The conference was attended by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, US secretary of state Condoleeza Rice, and other foreign leaders.
Speaking at a press conference, the Prime Minister said the conference had never been intended to negotiate a settlement between Israel and Palestine.
Instead, it set out what the Palestinian Authority must do to create a stable Palestinian state and be an equal partner in peace negotiations, and gave the international community a chance to show their support for the Palestinians.
Mr Blair said Palestine had agreed to reform its elections and institutions such as its court system, and improve its control over the security services.
On the part of the international community, the European Union would help the Palestinians improve their governance and the World Bank would work on economic and social development.
The United States would lead a co-ordinating group on security.
Mr Blair said that “everybody can talk about the possibility of an independent, viable Palestinian state” but today’s agreement made clear exactly what was needed to usher in such a state.
It was not a substitute for the eventual negotiation of a final settlement, he admitted, but a precondition of any negotiation was a Palestine viable not just in terms of land but also in its institutions.
Peace in the Middle East remained hugely important to the security and stability of the whole world, the Prime Minister added.
“Right around the world, in Britain, in Europe, elsewhere – not just in Israel, in the Palestinian territories, in the Middle East – right round the world, this is the issue that causes as much misunderstanding, division, concern, worry as virtually any other in the whole of the international community.
“Much of the poison that we want to take out of international relations has swirled around as a result of the failure to make progress on this issue.”
He added that in recent years, the prospects for the Middle East peace process had seemed “very dark indeed”.
“[But] I think we can see some light. We don’t overstate it, we don’t become complacent. But I think today’s conference is one significant step.”
