Miliband in Lebanon to Help Push for Middle East Peace
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said during a visit to Beirut on Tuesday that he was satisfied with stability in Lebanon prior to the 2009 parliamentary elections.
Miliband, who came to Lebanon after visiting Syria, met with Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh and al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri on Tuesday.
He is scheduled to hold talks with President Michel Suleiman, Premier Fouad Saniora and other politicians on Wednesday.
During his meeting with Salloukh at the airport, the British foreign secretary said his country is looking forward towards pushing peace efforts in the Middle East and reviving the Arab peace initiative.
Miliband said he was pleased to return to Beirut following the election of a new president. He disclosed that his talks with Salloukh also covered an upcoming visit to London by Suleiman.
"The purpose of his visit is to build momentum for the peace process in the region," said a statement from the British Embassy in Beirut.
"Building on progress at the Annapolis conference in 2007, the foreign secretary aims to use the visit for further negotiations on a two-state solution and to develop stronger relations based on mutual trust, shared interests, and a vision for a stable, peaceful and prosperous Middle East," the statement added.
Salloukh said he held fruitful talks with his British counterpart. He expressed hope that the coming period will witness serious, balanced and comprehensive efforts for reviving the peace process based on the Arab peace initiative launched during the 2002 Arab League Summit in Beirut.
Miliband is on a two-day official visit to Lebanon as part of a Middle East tour that included Syria and the Palestinian territories. This is his second visit to Beirut since last June.
In Damascus, Miliband stressed Syria”s importance in bringing stability to the Middle East after talks with President Bashar Assad.
The foreign secretary also praised the establishment of diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon.
"Syria has the opportunity to play a constructive role in many aspects of peace in the region," Miliband said during a joint news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.
"There have been important constructive steps over the last 18 months … in respect of relations with Lebanon but also some other" issues, he said.