BICOM

British Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to work with Middle Eastern countries to root out terrorists and improve regional security.

Setting out her vision for the UK’s role in the region after Brexit in a major speech at the Jordan Museum in Amman, Prime Minister May dismissed suggestions that Britain would be “stepping back from the world,” she said: ‘We understand that we best defend our values, our interests and our way of life by working together with our international partners to uphold the international rules-based system.”

May said “under my leadership we remain profoundly and unequivocally committed to supporting the security of this entire region – for example, with our Royal Navy continuing to patrol the Gulf as it has done for decades”.

Speaking on Syria, the Prime Minister said: “Only a lasting political solution in Syria will neutralise this terrorist threat and allow the refugees you are hosting to return home.” She called on the international community to “stop creating rival processes, and unite behind a single UN-led process in Geneva that will bring about an end to the conflict through a genuine transition to a new democratic, inclusive and legitimate government.”

Mrs May stressed the importance of the 2015 Iran deal, which ended nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran in return for international inspections and restrictions on its nuclear activities, but added that the nuclear deal “only addresses one aspect of Iran’s threat in this region. We must therefore strengthen our response to Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its proliferation of weapons”.

At the end of a three-day visit that also included talks in Saudi Arabia with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and a surprise visit to Iraq, Prime Minister May said she wanted to offer countries in the region a security partnership “helping you defend and protect your borders and your people from external aggression”.

Speaking about the Middle East Peace Process, May said the UK is proud of its role in the creation of the State of Israel and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment “to support both sides to achieve a peace deal which must be based on a two-state solution, with a viable and sovereign Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel”.