Statehood talks begin despite Palestinian travel ban

Talks on building a Palestinian state begin in London today – with some of the main participants forced to take part by video link.

Tony Blair announced the initiative for breathing new life into the Middle East peace process last month. But the conference looked doomed when Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, imposed a travel ban on Palestinian leaders after suicide bombs in Tel Aviv nine days ago.

Mr Sharon then snubbed Downing Street by refusing to meet Sherard Cowper-Coles, the British ambassador to Israel, who was carrying a letter from the Prime Minister urging him to lift the ban.

The Foreign Office will set up a teleconference link with Palestinian Authority leaders in Ramallah, including Yasser Abed Rabbo, the Information Minister, Nabil Shaath, the Planning and International Co-operation Minister, and Salam Fayyad, the Finance Minister.

Delegates will attend from other Arab countries, the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.

Mr Blair said yesterday: "What is important is to try and create the circumstances in which we can get lasting peace in the Middle East. The reason I think it is important to discuss political reform with the Palestinians is that there has been a sense in Israel and outside that unless we get the right political mechanisms in place it is difficult to make progress on the Middle East. Ours is an attempt to try to secure that, to try and push that forward."

The meeting is to help the Palestinians prepare to implement a "road map" to full statehood, with delegates concentrating on drawing up a constitution. They will discuss political, judicial, administrative and economic reform.

A Foreign Office spokesman said the conference should not divert attention from Israel's obligations, notably the need to leave occupied Palestinian territory. But he said participants believed they could make progress on the future of a Palestinian state at a time of political impasse during campaigning for Israeli elections, to be held on 28 January.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said: "We will help whenever we can to move the process forward and deliver security and justice for Palestinians and Israelis."