The Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has said that the United Kingdom should not be afraid of change but of "upheaval and instability" in the middle east following the resignation of Egypt's President Mubarak. Interviewed by Today presenter James Naughtie, Mr Hague said that it was important for the UK to help Egypt build "political parties and civil society over the coming months".

And he added that recent events meant that there was now a greater impetus for Israel and the Palestinians to compromise on negotiations on a two-state solution, a process which he said was "on life support".

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