A two-state solution and the push for peace in the Middle East is the goal of the UK's new Conservative and Liberal Democrat government, according to the full details of the coalition agreement announced on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference at the Treasury on Thursday morning, British Prime Minister David Cameron and deputy Nick Clegg unveiled the 30-page agreement, titled ‘The Coalition: Our programme for Government’ and covering 31 areas. They referred to it as a “historic document in British politics.”
“This document is unique...the compromises have strengthened, not weakened, our ambition. We want this coalition to be defined by three words: freedom, fairness and responsibility,” Clegg said.
The foreign affairs section of the agreement states that the government will push for peace in the Middle East.
“We will push for peace in the Middle East, with a secure and universally recognised Israel living alongside a sovereign and viable Palestinian state,” the document said.
The section also said that the British government would be an active member of the global community - meaning it would serve as a constructive member of the UN.
“The government believes that Britain must always be an active member of the global community, promoting our national interests while standing up for the values of freedom, fairness and responsibility. This means working as a constructive member of the UN, NATO and other multilateral organizations including the Commonwealth; working to promote stability and security; and pushing for reform of global institutions to ensure that they reflect the modern world,” the agreement states.
The two leaders say while there are differences between the two parties, there is “common ground.”
The final document gives more details following the publication of a four-page deal during negotiations between the two parties in the days after the UK national election result revealed that no parties had gained a majority.
“Even if you've read 100 party manifestos, you've never read a document like this one," Clegg said. “Not one party's ideas, not even just two parties’ ideas, but a joint program for government based on shared ambitions and shared goals.”