ei: Closing statement by Mahmoud Abbas at London conference (1 March 2005)

I would like to thank Prime Minister Tony Blair for his invitation to attend this conference and for his effort towards holding this significant and important conference which is in line with the role that Mr Blair personally plays and Britain plays as well to revive the peace process in the Middle East. And all the, and also to consider the peace process as a priority in British politics and international politics.

Also I would like to thank all friendly and brotherly countries and organisations taking part in this conference. I would like to thank them for the support shown to us today to help the Palestinian Authority.

I would like to express my gratitude for the teams that have planned for this conference on both sides, the British and Palestinian sides. The results of this conference have been very positive and fruitful. It was an opportunity for the Palestinian delegation to express its political view and its programmes to reconstruct institutions based on democracy and the, and the right of law. We have noticed an international backing for our efforts to implement our programmes that have been put forward to the conference and these programmes included political, economic, financial support and other fields as well.

We have also witnessed the support of the international understanding towards the difficulties we are facing. We have taken opportunities for this, from this conference to express our plans regarding peace, reforms and economic reforms. We have tabled these plans to the conference and they will help us rebuild a better future for our people. Today we have strongly condemned the suicide operation that has, that had targeted Israeli citizens. All Palestinian factions have condemned this operation. The Palestinian faction have renewed once again their commitment to the truce and we are in the process of taking a series of measures to uncover the perpetrators of that operation and will put them before trial.

We are committed to the peace process and to the results of the Sharm Sheikh Conference. We are doing everything we can to preserve the peace and the truce and also to implement our commitments towards the Road Map. We hope for a speedy return to the spirit of reconciliation through peaceful negotiations and successful negotiation based on legality and international legitimacy that would strengthen and put an end to the 1967 occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian State, a democratic and independent state and viable that would live side by side to the State of Israel.

Mr President we used to believe and so many people used to believe as well that we were alone in the region, that we were in conflict. However another, other countries are interested as well. We are confident that the international community is interested with this cause because it has become its own cause and the security of the region is the security of all the international community.

Thank you Mr Chairman.

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