Secretary-General welcomes news of Palestinian unity government

Welcoming reports that negotiations for a Palestinian national unity government have been completed, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he hoped the new administration would respect existing agreements and reflect widely held principles on the conflict in the Middle East.

United Nations spokesperson Michele Montas told journalists at the daily briefing, in response to questions on the intra-Palestinian talks, that Mr. Ban is now looking forward to the formation of both the Government and its programme.

She said he hoped that the Palestinian Government would respect all existing agreements and reflect principles outlined by the diplomatic Quartet, the international grouping that includes the UN as well as the European Union, Russian Federation and the United States.

Those principles include a commitment to the Road Map, the plan that envisages two States, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security. They also include the recognition of Israel and a rejection of violence.

The negotiations follow an accord reached in Mecca last month by Palestinian groups to end the intra-Palestinian violence and to try to work together to form a unity government.