UK hopeful of Middle East change

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Britain's foreign secretary has said he hopes the coming year will be an opportunity for global change which will benefit the troubled Middle East.

David Miliband, who has been in Israel, the occupied West Bank and Syria, was speaking after meeting Lebanese President Michel Suleiman in Beirut.

He cited the new US administration and scheduled elections in Israel, Iran and Lebanon as potential agents of change.

He said each country must think how it will contribute to peace and stability.

"I think 2009 is going to be a very important year," Mr Miliband told reporters after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.

"It is the year of change globally because there is a new American president, there will be a new Israeli government, there will be elections in Lebanon and.... in Iran as well."

Mr Miliband also expressed support for Lebanon's independence and democracy.

"So often in history Lebanon has been the victim of other people's conflicts and we will know that there is a true prospect of lasting peace in the Middle East when Lebanon is no longer the victim of other people's conflicts," he added.

He said all parties in Lebanon must respect the democratic process and ensure the country's future is determined through a political process and not violence.

Fragile country

As Mr Miliband noted himself, the last time he was in Lebanon, the country had no president.

BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen says Lebanese leaders have been able, just about, to stabilise the political battlefield after a frightening taste of civil war in May.

With the help of Qatar, Lebanese MPs were able to elect Mr Suleiman as president and concessions to the Hezbollah-led opposition lifted some of the political paralysis.

But the country remains fragile and weak, says our Middle East editor who is travelling with Mr Miliband.

The UK foreign secretary was pleased with his visit to Syria, which for years has been absent from most top-level British visits to the region because of Syria's stance towards the Palestinian militant movement Hamas and its support for Hezbollah.

He met President Bashar al-Assad and said he was a man he would like to do more business with.

However, our Middle East editor says that might alarm some members of the majority political movement in Lebanon which is anti-Syrian.