UK and Palestine sign the first treaty between the two nations

03 November 2010

This agreement is the first ever bilateral treaty between the two nations

UK Foreign Secretary and Palestinian PM

The UK’s Foreign Secretary, William Hague, visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories today (3 November) for his first visit to Palestine since he assumed office. The Foreign Secretary is visiting the OPTs as part of a regional visit that includes Israel and Egypt.

The Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Dr. Salaam Fayyad and Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki today in Ramallah. In Ramallah, he also met Palestinian police graduates, community leaders from the villages affected by the wall. He hosted prominent members of the Palestinian community at the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem.

The Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister discussed a wide range of issues, including Gaza, the peace process and the economy. After the meeting the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister signed the first bilateral treaty between the PLO and the UK Government. This treaty is designed to enhance cooperation in the field of film. This co-production treaty will lead to the sharing of ideas, knowledge and skills, helping stimulate productivity in both film industries.

The Foreign Secretary said:

“I am very impressed by the progress Prime Minister Fayyad and his team has made over the past year in developing Palestinian institutions. This treaty is a visible sign of the UK’s confidence in the maturity of those institutions. The policy of the current UK government is the same as its predecessor. We believe in a two state solution which sees security for Israel and a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with a just and agreed solution for refugees and Jerusalem as the shared capital of the two nations.”

The Foreign Secretary met community leaders from villages affected by the barrier, including Ni’lin and Al Masara, on a hillside near Al Masyoun to view the barrier and hear from these leaders how they are galvanising their communities in peaceful protests against the barrier. Early this evening, the Foreign Secretary and the British Consul General hosted prominent East Jerusalem residents at the British Consulate in Sheikh Jerrah. At the meeting he reiterated his firm belief that Jerusalem should be the shared capital of Israel and a future Palestinian state.

UK-Pal treaty

Foreign Secretary visit

Further information

For further details, please contact:

Dave Jones, British Consulate Consul (Political and Press), 054 771 2604
Fadi Adeeb, British Consulate Communication Manager, 054 771 2648.