Straw hosts G8 foreign ministers

Mr Straw stressed the importance of Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip

Zimbabwe, drug production in Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear programme, and the Middle East topped the agenda at a meeting of G8 foreign ministers.

The UK's Jack Straw hosted the London meeting of key economic powers ahead of the Gleneagles G8 summit.

Afterwards Mr Straw expressed "profound concern" about Zimbabwe and urged African leaders not to turn a blind eye to the actions of Robert Mugabe.

He also said the biggest threat to Israel's Gaza pull out was terrorism.

Decade of help?

The withdrawal could be a "first step" back to the Middle East road map for peace, and a first stage in building a viable Palestinian state, he argued.

He was speaking after representatives from the EU, the US, the UN and Russia - the so-called Quartet which drew up the plan - met in London.

"What we're all seeking to do is to ensure that the withdrawal from Gaza and from those four settlements in the north of the West Bank, is a first step on the way back to the road-map," he said.

The road-map was there, he said, for "one purpose only - to make a reality out of the policy of the whole of the international community that there should be these two states, a secure state of Israel living alongside a separate and viable and secure state of Palestine".

Drugs trade

Foreign ministers were briefed on developments in the Middle East by special envoy to the region James Wolfensohn, ahead of the planned Israeli pullout from Gaza.

Ministers discussed rebuilding Afghanistan and tackling drugs

On Zimbabwe Mr Straw told the post-meeting news conference: "We discussed the current situation and the ongoing police operations which have reportedly left thousands of the most vulnerable homeless and destitute."

The Afghan foreign minister joined talks on tackling its drugs trade.

Rebuilding Afghanistan also featured heavily, with the UK due to take over leadership of the peace keeping force there next year.

Officials say assistance - military and otherwise - will be needed "for a decade or more, not a year or more".

Fresh plans

Concerns about Iran's controversial nuclear programme were also on the agenda.

US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice urged Iran to abide by its obligation not to seek to develop nuclear weapons.

"We call upon the Iranians to adhere to the Paris agreement to its letter and to not engage in any activities associated with the fuel cycle," she said.

Fresh proposals to resolve the nuclear crisis are expected to be tabled in the summer.