§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking to persuade the Israelis and the Palestinians to resume negotiations to achieve a just and lasting peace. [HL3667]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos)The UK has played a full part in international efforts to bring the violence and military action in Israel and the Occupied Territories to an end and help the parties resume negotiations. My right honourable friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and my honourable friend the Member for Exeter have all been intensely engaged on the crisis in the Middle East. We have been in close touch with the Israelis and the Palestinians, with the United States, with our European partners and the governments in the Arab world. The Foreign Secretary also discussed the Middle East with other European Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs Council on 15 April.
The priority is implementation of UNSCRs 1402 and 1403. We fully support US Secretary of State Powell's mission and call on the parties to work constructively with him for those resolutions, including the establishment of a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities, and the implementation of the Tenet plan and Mitchell recommendations with the aim of resuming negotiations on a political settlement.