WEST BANK: On a visit to the West Bank, British Foreign Secretary William Hague says the possibility of a two-state solution 'cannot be kept alive forever'

Record ID: 566455

  • Title: WEST BANK: On a visit to the West Bank, British Foreign Secretary William Hague says the possibility of a two-state solution 'cannot be kept alive forever'
  • Date: 23rd May 2013
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MAY 23, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CONVOY CARRYING BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE ARRIVING TO MEET PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS WELCOMING HAGUE VARIOUS OF HAGUE ABBAS MEETING BRITISH DELEGATION AT MEETING MORE OF MEETING HAGUE WALKING TO PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE, SAYING: "We have discussed with the president the negotiating position. Of course, we want to see negotiations take place and progress made towards this goal. What is clear is that things cannot just stand still. This is becoming a much more urgent issue as the weeks and months go by and the two-state solution, cannot be, the prospect of it, cannot be kept alive forever." PHOTOGRAPHERS HAGUE ARRIVE AT MUSICAL AUDITORIUM PALESTINIAN FLAG HAGUE WALKING TO PODIUM PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS LISTENING TO HAGUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE, SAYING: "You can be sure of course that I will repeat clearly our long-standing support for a viable Palestinian state living alongside a secure Israel, based on 1967 borders with agreed lands swaps and with Jerusalem as a shared capital."
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA51VVL1MJBDKCJFNK2BO2JFMMG
  • Story Text: British Foreign Secretary of William Hague held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday (May 23) in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
    Hague stressed the urgency of negotiated peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, adding that the notion of a two-state solution could not exist interminably.

    "This is becoming a much more urgent issue as the weeks and months go by and the two-state solution, cannot be, the prospect of it, cannot be kept alive forever," he said, speaking following his meeting with Abbas.
    Hague visited a musical auditorium in Ramallah where he spoke about UK scholarships for the Palestinians and met with young people.

    "You can be sure of course that I will repeat clearly our long-standing support for a viable Palestinian state living alongside a secure Israel, based on 1967 borders with agreed lands swaps and with Jerusalem as a shared capital," Hague told those gathered at the auditorium.
    This was followed by a visit to a Beduin community in the Jordan Valley. Members of the Beduin community showed Hague a map indicating settlement activity in the area.
    There are some 31 settlements, housing around 8,300 Jewish settlers in the Jordan Valley.
    Most of the world deems all Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal. Israel, which captured the land in the 1967 Middle East War, disputes this. There are about 120 government-authorised settlements in the West Bank and dozens of outposts built by settlers without official sanction.
    The main issues that would have to be resolved in a peace agreement include the borders between Israel and a Palestinian state, the future of Jewish settlements, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem.
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