UK foreign secretary calls on Obama to launch renewed peace drive of type not seen since 1993 Oslo accords
The British foreign secretary warned of the
dire consequences of letting the current turmoil in the Middle East
continue unabated Thursday, calling on the US to lead a renewed drive
for peace of the type not seen in decades.
“2013 will be a crucial year in the Middle
East,” William Hague said at the Menzies Research Centre in Sydney,
where he delivered the John Howard lecture. “We could see a perfect
storm of crises converging if the conflict in Syria continues, the
Middle East peace process remains stalled, and if Iran will not enter
into meaningful negotiations over its nuclear program.”
Hague said US President Barack Obama should
take charge and launch an intense drive for peace matching that of the
last major Israeli Palestinian breakthrough in 1993.
“Before long, a two-state solution could be made impossible by facts on the ground,” Hague said.
“We recognize the immense obstacles to the peace process, not least of
all the role of Hamas in Gaza. But still, we believe that it must be a
priority for President Obama’s re-elected administration to launch a new
effort to start the peace process, greater in intensity than anything
seen since the Oslo Accords.”
“This is a tall order, but the situation is urgent and the consequences of failure extremely grave,” he added.
Hague also said the international community should be prepared to step up its response in Syria, including providing “life-saving help and assistance to the Syrian opposition”"
“2013 cannot be the year in which another 60,000 Syrian civilians perish,” he said.
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