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Miliband pledges ‘new international momentum’ for Israeli-Palestinian peace
New Foreign Sec gives major speech as Foreign Secretary at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference in Manila
New Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has vowed to “inject new international momentum” into efforts to bring about peace and security for “both Palestinians and Israelis”.
In his first major speech as Foreign Secretary, delivered at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference in Manila, Miliband emphasised the UK’s commitment to diplomacy, stating the UK “very much” welcomed the Memorandum of Understanding reached in June between the US and Iran.
He added: “The UK condemns in the strongest terms the unjustified attacks by Iran since then on shipping and indeed on our Gulf partners.”
Miliband continued: “As a government, I assure you we will work intensely with others to seek to de-escalate this conflict and find a diplomatic way forward which is in all of our interests.”
“That must include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and upholding the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation—a principle that the maritime nations around the table know better than anyone is so important.”
The former energy secretary also spoke of the global impact of the conflict with Iran, highlighting its effects on countries worldwide, including the British economy.
Miliband, who replaced Yvette Cooper as Foreign Secretary in Andy Burnham’s recent reshuffle, noted that the ASEAN conference was taking place “at a moment when the world is ever more unstable and uncertain.”
He added that there was “devastating conflict in Sudan, in Palestine, in Lebanon and beyond, so we must inject renewed international momentum to halt the suffering and secure lasting peace.”
After stressing the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine, Miliband turned his attention to the Middle East.
“And following the UK government’s historic recognition of the State of Palestine, we must not lose sight of the plight of those suffering in Gaza and the West Bank,” he said. “We will continue to work with others to bring about a just and lasting peace, and to secure security for both Palestinians and Israelis.”
He added: “Indeed, in this era of international instability, we must go even further to defend the principles at the heart of the UN Charter: respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the rule of law, and an international system in which countries, large and small, can make their own choices free from coercion.”
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