Middle East: Straw Welcomes Agreement On Supervisory Wardens

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, has described an agreement on supervisory wardens brokered in Israel and the Occupied Territories as a 'significant first step away from violence and confrontation.'

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw said:

"I welcome this significant first step away from violence and confrontation. We have been pushing forward this proposal for some time. I am therefore very pleased that, thanks to all the work of US Secretary of State Colin Powell, others in the US Administration and British diplomats in Israel and the Occupied Territories, it has been possible to bring both sides to an agreement."

"I hope there will be no last minute hitches as arrangements are now being made to put the supervisory wardens in place. Experts are travelling to the region tomorrow morning. But this step is not enough: it is important now that the violence ends and the talking starts."

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