Prime Minister welcomes Roadmap for Middle East peace

Prime Minister Tony Blair has welcomed the presentation of the Middle East peace plan to the Israeli government and the newly installed Palestinian cabinet.

The Roadmap was presented yesterday after the swearing in ceremony of the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas yesterday – a precondition for publication.

According to the plan, the settlement will include "an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel".

Mr Blair said: "There is now a real opportunity for both sides to work, with the strong support of the international community, to achieve a just and lasting settlement."

He added: "The prize is enormous: peace and security for Israel living side by side with an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state. So I hope that both sides will respond positively and start implementing the Roadmap without delay."

The Roadmap, which is sequenced into three phases, was drawn up by the US, the EU, Russia and the UN, and is a timetable to create a Palestinian state – and a secure Israeli state – by 2005.

To fulfil its responsibilities in the first phase, the Palestinian Authority must issue "an unequivocal statement reiterating Israel's right to exist in peace", dismantle terrorist infrastructure and hold free and fair elections.

On the other side, Israel should issue an unequivocal statement committing itself to a two-state solution, freeze construction by Jewish settlers and withdraw the Palestinian autonomous zones.

By the end of the year, Phase Two could be in operation – whereby a Palestinian constitution is ratified and an international conference is held to progress the establishment of a Palestinian state with provisional borders.

The third phase in 2004-2005, will seek to finalise the permanent-status solution for Palestinian state in 2005, including borders, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements - and peace between Israel and other Arab states.

However, in a speech Mr Abbas affirmed his acceptance of the Roadmap, but rejected changes demanded by Israel, saying: "The Roadmap must be implemented, not negotiated."

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw also welcomed the move as "real opportunity" and said the British government would do "everything we can to support [negotiations]".

The Roadmap, if successfully implemented, would leave Mr Bush entering a presidential election campaign next year supporting a document to which many inside the powerful Jewish lobby would be opposed. And so, questions marks surround the "personnel commitment" of President Bush to the Middle East peace process – in spite of his statement at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland last month, where he pledged to devote as much time to the Middle East as Prime Minister Tony Blair had on the Northern Ireland peace process.

However, Mr Straw dismissed the suggestion, saying: "I believe that President Bush is a man of his word.

"So whatever the electoral timescale may or may not be in the United States, President Bush has clearly committed himself to pursuing implementation of the Roadmap, he has said that, and he and his administration have been working actively towards that."

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Colin Powell left today for the Middle East. He will visit Syria and Lebanon, before returning to Washington, about a week later, to meet with Abbas and Sharon.

Over 3,000 people have been killed since the Arab uprising was declared in September 2000.

Today, Israeli authorities confirmed that eight Palestinians had been killed during a gun battle in Gaza. Among the dead were a two-year-old child and a 13-year-old teenager. Seven soldiers were injured in the military operation.

(GMcG)