EGYPT: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband says talking to Hamas is right thing to do

Record ID: 560111

  • Title: EGYPT: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband says talking to Hamas is right thing to do
  • Date: 23rd February 2009
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (FEBRUARY 25, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE VARIOUS OF PHOTO OP OF BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID MILIBAND MEETING EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK AND EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AHMED ABOUL GHEIT MILIBAND BEING INTERVIEWED BY REUTERS CORRESPONDENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID MILIBAND, SAYING: "We're not doing that. It's absolutely clear that Egypt has been nominated by the Arab League to speak to Hamas on behalf of the Arab League, but actually on behalf of, really of the whole world. And others speak to Hamas. That's the right thing to do. And I think we should let the Egyptians take forward this leadership role they have got. There's no contradiction between…" MILIBAND DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID MILIBAND, SAYING: "But we also recognize and we also believe that the reunification of the Palestinian people, the establishment of a single voice to speak for the Palestinians is very important. That's something that I stressed throughout 2008. And the European foreign ministers came together two weeks ago and spoke clearly about the need for an interim, or technocratic, or non-factional government, with the tasks of delivering humanitarian assistance, of promoting reconstruction and of preparing for elections. And there's a period now of ten or eleven month that this government could focus on those tasks. And I think that that government obviously under President Abbas is something that Europeans have shown their commitment to supporting Egyptian efforts to deliver." MILIBAND BEING INTERVIEWED BY REUTERS CORRESPONDENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID MILIBAND, SAYING: "Obviously I've seen the election results in the same way that you have. but I think that we should judge people by their deeds and let us see where the new Israeli government positions itself when it is in office." MILIBAND BEING INTERVIEWED BY REUTERS CORRESPONDENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID MILIBAND, SAYING: "I think that part of my, the reason for my visit here is that one reflection on last year, the year of the Annapolis process is that there was insufficient international engagement. And I believe that the start of the Sharm El-Sheikh conference on Monday is the start of renewed international engagement. Obviously George Mitchell has been appointed, Mrs. Clinton is going to be making her first visit to the region, the Israeli government is in the process of formation. And this makes 2009 a very important year." OF MILIBAND BEING INTERVIEWED BY REUTERS CORRESPONDENT
  • Embargoed: 10th March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAC7PH2NZIX7QFXN05WNP69BIF1
  • Story Text: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband says that talking to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas is "the right thing to do".
    British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Wednesday (February 25) that talking to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas was "the right thing to do" but that Egypt and other parties were best placed to do it.
    Miliband met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other Egyptian officials on Wednesday, and will attend an international conference on the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza that is scheduled to take place on Monday (March 2).
    In an interview with Reuters in Cairo, where Hamas and the rival Fatah group prepared on Wednesday for a national dialogue on a new Palestinian government, Miliband said Egypt was acting on behalf of the whole world in its dealings with Hamas.
    Miliband said that Britain's sanctioning of Egyptian talks with Hamas and refusal to talk to Hamas itself was not contradictory.
    "We're not doing that. It's absolutely clear that Egypt has been nominated by the Arab League to speak to Hamas on behalf of the Arab League, but actually on behalf of, really of the whole world. And others speak to Hamas. That's the right thing to do. And I think we should let the Egyptians take forward this leadership role they have got. There's no contradiction between…," he said.
    Britain, along with the United States and the European Union, calls Hamas a terrorist organisation and refuses to have talks with the group, which won Palestinian elections in 2006 and has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
    Miliband said Britain and other European countries wanted to see the dialogue in Cairo result in a Palestinian government of non-partisan technocrats which could oversee reconstruction in Gaza and prepare the Palestinian territories for elections.
    "But we also recognize and we also believe that the reunification of the Palestinian people, the establishment of a single voice to speak for the Palestinians is very important. That's something that I stressed throughout 2008. And the European foreign ministers came together two weeks ago and spoke clearly about the need for an interim, or technocratic, or non-factional government, with the tasks of delivering humanitarian assistance, of promoting reconstruction and of preparing for elections. And there's a period now of ten or eleven month that this government could focus on those tasks. And I think that that government obviously under President Abbas is something that Europeans have shown their commitment to supporting Egyptian efforts to deliver."
    Miliband declined to speculate on how the British or other allied governments would handle the post-election government.
    The British Foreign Secretary also said that the world should adopt a wait and see attitude to the next Israeli government, which will likely be made up of right wing parties with hard line positions on peace talks.
    "Obviously I've seen the election results in the same way that you have. but I think that we should judge people by their deeds and let us see where the new Israeli government positions itself when it is in office," he said.
    Asked what he expected from U.S. President Barack Obama's active approach to Middle East diplomacy, he said the United States did not pay enough attention to the region in 2008, a trend he now believed was changing.
    "I think that part of my, the reason for my visit here is that one reflection on last year, the year of the Annapolis process is that there was insufficient international engagement. And I believe that the start of the Sharm El-Sheikh conference on Monday is the start of renewed international engagement. Obviously George Mitchell has been appointed, Mrs. Clinton is going to be making her first visit to the region, the Israeli government is in the process of formation. And this makes 2009 a very important year," he said.
    Egypt, the only Arab state bordering the Gaza Strip, has taken the lead in trying to mediate a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel after the Israeli assault on the enclave which killed some 1,300 Palestinians in December and January.
    It is also the host for a dialogue of Palestinian political groups formally opening in Cairo on Thursday, and will host the reconstruction conference early next week.
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