MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Meeting with world leaders at Sharm El-Sheikh

French president Macron, Palestinian leader Abbas and PM Keir Starmer in Egypt (Pic EPA)

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer held meetings with leaders from Qatar, Turkiye, and France at the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit. With the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani PM Starmer paid tribute to the Amir for his personal leadership, alongside Turkiye, Egypt and the United States, in bringing us to this historic day. 

 They agreed that this is a turning point for the Middle East, after months of horror and suffering. Seeing the hostages released this morning, and aid pouring into Gaza, is what the world has been longing for, the Prime Minister added. 

Both leaders acknowledged that today must turn into a lasting, sustainable peace.

The Prime Minister was clear that the UK stands ready to support the next phase.

He confirmed that the UK will play a role in the reconstruction of Gaza, participate in the ceasefire monitoring mission and support the process of decommissioning of Hamas – preventing them from ever posing a threat again. 

He finished by saying he looked forward to continuing to work closely with the Amir on delivering a lasting peace and a stable, secure future for the whole region.

Starmer also met President Erdoğan of Türkiye, and thanked the President for his invaluable role in the process to achieve a ceasefire and bring an end to the war.

Both agreed that now must be a turning point, and we must maintain momentum towards implementation of the peace plan.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the UK stands ready to play a leading role in the next phase. They ended the discussion on other shared priorities, including a commitment to collaborate more closely on defense.

With President Emmanuel Macron of France, both leaders welcomed the historic scenes of the last few days, with aid now pouring into Gaza and the hostages finally being reunited with their loved ones after unimaginable suffering. 

Both leaders paid tribute to the vital efforts of President Trump and the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for securing the first phase of peace. They agreed this should mark a turning point for the region, and attention must now turn to the next phase. 

The Prime Minister said the UK stands ready to play a leadership role in the process of decommissioning Hamas, then supporting the reconstruction of Gaza and participating in the ceasefire monitoring mission.