SWITZERLAND: Palestinian premier Fayyad and Britain's Miliband discuss Mideast in Davos

Record ID: 561984

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: Palestinian premier Fayyad and Britain's Miliband discuss Mideast in Davos
  • Date: 30th January 2010
  • Summary: DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 29, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CONGRESS CENTRE, VENUE OF WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM (WEF) SECURITY GUARDS DELEGATES IN HALL PALESTINIAN PRIME MINSTER SALAM FAYYAD WALKING INTO ROOM BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER DAVID MILIBAND ARRIVING FOR BILATERAL MEETING WEF SIGN FAYYAD AND MILIBAND SHAKING HANDS MILIBAND WALKING TOWARDS CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER, DAVID MILIBAND, SAYING: "We just had a very useful meeting with Prime Minister Fayyad, not just talking about the bilateral work that the U.K. is doing with the Palestinian Authority but also the very extensive changes that Prime Minister Fayyad is bringing in on the ground. It's obviously been a very difficult year since the last Davos meeting on the political front but the prime minister is offering outstanding leadership that is bringing benefit to the Palestinian people. The key is to link these bottom-up changes to a political process as well. That's what we have been talking about." WEF SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER, DAVID MILIBAND, SAYING: "I think that's an extraordinary suggestion. I think that Prime Minister Blair, former Prime Minister Blair will speak for himself, I'd say. He'll explain the decisions that he took. From my point of view, I think that a lot of the conspiracy theories that are attendant on the commentary will be shown to be just that, conspiracy theories. But he'll be able to explain himself the decisions he took and the base on which he took them. Thanks very much." MILIBAND WALKING OFF FAYYAD WALKING PAST AND REPORTER ASKING HIM ABOUT HAMAS KILLING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER, SALAM FAYYAD, SAYING: "I do not have any reporting on it. As I said, I really haven't got any reporting on it of what happened. Thank you." FAYYAD WALKING OFF VARIOUS OF SECRETARY GENERAL OF ARAB LEAGUE, AMR MOUSSA SEATED AND LOOKING AT DOCUMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SECRETARY GENERAL OF ARAB LEAGUE, AMR MOUSSA SAYING: "We are committed and tied to the Arab initiative and our position of trying to pursue peace. Therefore, we do not oppose any real measures that get us closer to the peace process. But negotiations for the sake of negotiations and movements for the sake of movements (shuttle diplomacy) that get trapped in endless circles has caused us to suffer in the past. We are confident that (U.S. envoy) Senator (George) Mitchell is a man of trust so we will await the results of these efforts in the coming days. And we will have to wait and see. Thank you." MOUSSA WALKING OFF
  • Embargoed: 14th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAX0CG7L7ZFWTBMOZTF1E8XIGK
  • Story Text: British Foreign Minister David Miliband on Friday (January 29) praised Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's "outstanding leadership" after meeting him in Davos in Switzerland.
    "It's obviously been a very difficult year since the last Davos meeting on the political front but the prime minister is offering outstanding leadership that is bringing benefit to the Palestinian people. The key is to link these bottom-up changes to a political process as well," Miliband said after meeting Prime Minister Fayyad on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.
    Both men said they could not comment on allegations about the killing of a Hamas leader, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in Dubai. Hamas has accused Israel of killing the senior military commander who played a major role in a Palestinian uprising in the 1980s.
    Fayyad said he could not comment on the Dubai killing yet because "I do not have any reporting on it. As I said, I really haven't got any reporting on it of what happened".
    In other comments at Davos on the Middle East peace process, the Arab League's secretary general, Amr Moussa, said his organisation was committed "to the Arab initiative and our position of trying to pursue peace."
    However, "endless circles" of shuttle diplomacy must end, he said.
    Moussa expressed confidence in George Mitchell, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East. "Senator Mitchell is a man of trust so we will await the results of these efforts in the coming days," he said.
    Britain's Miliband was also asked about Friday's appearance of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair before a public inquiry in London into the Iraq war, and how likely he was to face war crimes charges.
    Miliband said, "I think that's an extraordinary suggestion."
    "From my point of view, I think that a lot of the conspiracy theories that are attendant on the commentary will be shown to be just that, conspiracy theories," Miliband said.
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