The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1990-1997

1996Prime Minister (1990-1997)

Mr Major’s Doorstep Interview at Heads of Government Meeting – 13 March 1996

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Below is the text of Mr Major’s doorstep interview at the Heads of Government Meeting on Wednesday 13th March 1996.

PRIME MINISTER:

We’ve brought together heads of government from the whole of the region and far beyond. All of them expressing their belief that a great deal of progress has been made in the peace process. That the peace process still holds the key to a proper, secure, peaceful future for the people of the Middle East, and pledging themselves to do all they can to support the major players in achieving that. I think it has been very productive. We’re looking at problems. We’re deciding how we can deal with those problems. There will be further meetings convened within the next fortnight so that we can look at practical steps that will be helpful.

I think it’s been a very productive session indeed this morning, and I think it was well worth doing. I think it’s been a very great success for everyone. It’s brought together people from all sorts of different parts of the world with a common interest in beating terrorism. The summit has produced a complete solidarity for the Middle East peace process, a complete determination to assist it proceed, and a determination to sit down together over the next few weeks and work out some practical measures to deal with the problems of terrorism. I think that is a success.

QUESTION:

What can Britain do to help against terrorism?

PRIME MINISTER:

I think every government can do something to help. Certainly, in practical measures as far as the Palestinian authority is concerned, we’ve provided a substantial amount of resources to help policing in the Palestinian area. We propose to help more. Other people will be doing exactly the same thing. What is needed is an international determination to root out and hunt down the terrorists and their sources of funding, and to make it clear to the pariah states that acts as the host and home for terrorism, that they are going to be complete international pariahs unless and until they stop it. What we saw here was an absolute determination upon those issues. I can’t remember a summit like this in the past.

I can’t remember a summit that brought so many people together, from so many different points of view, with a single focus against terrorism. That’s what happened this morning, and it was well worth doing.