MT
I haven't had to give up anything, nor I must say, I think, do I think they … I think it's been mutual persuasion that this was the way to go for all of us. You see they too want something out of it, the Front Line African states, they too who want to feel that their territories are not being used for hostilities, because look at all the trouble that puts them to. Er, look at all the problems it gives the economies of their countries, all the political trouble, the instability.
John Simpson, BBC
Is there still a chance that the whole thing may collapse, after all we've had these pleasant sounding agreements before and they've always come to nothing in the past?
MT
Please don't think we've come the whole way—it's quite a long journey—but we've made the first step and we've got more support for it than ever before. It really was great that they were all prepared to say “It's Britain's responsibility, we trust Britain to carry it out, we got our constitutions from Britain, therefore we trust Britain and we'll back you, and, when it comes right, we'll bring pressure to bear that hostilities will cease and lift sanctions as part of implementing the whole process” .
John Simpson, BBC
Any kind of time scale?
MT
No, we just, we just go as fast as we possibly can. As I say, em, they've given Britain the responsibility, so we have to put to our Cabinet exactly what proposals shall be. I don't think that will take long and then we have to decide exactly how to go ahead. We shall go ahead as fast as we can because people are losing their lives every day, about 500 a week. And they're all frightened and in fear.