British parliament told Abraham Accord is a step to peace

Normalisation can encourage the parties to dialogue, UK's Middle East minister says

James Cleverly, UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa. Reuters

British government minister for the Middle East James Cleverly has hailed the Abraham Accords for making a positive contribution to the quest for peace in the region.

"The normalisation of relations represents a move towards peace in the region and the UK strongly welcomes it and encourages other states to choose the same path," he said. "We do hope that normalisation can encourage the parties to dialogue and the UK stands ready to support such efforts."

The minister went on to outline London's continuing adherence to the principles of the Middle East Peace Process. "The UK is a strong supporter of Palestinian state building efforts," he said.

"The UK government has supported the Palestinian authority in putting in place the building blocks for a future Palestinian state, which we recognised and have been very vocal is our preferred option. A safe, stable two-state solution."

At a meeting in London earlier this month, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE foreign minister and Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, also stressed the significance of the landmark Abraham Accord between the UAE and Israel, and talked of the role it would play in boosting security and stability in the region.

“Israel’s suspension of annexation is an essential step towards a more peaceful Middle East. It is important to build on this new dynamic, and ultimately only the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority can negotiate the two-state solution required to secure lasting peace.”