Britain plans diplomatic surge in Middle East

London: Britain is planning a "diplomatic surge" in the Middle East to counter extremism, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in an article published on Sunday.

In an article in The Sunday Times, Miliband said the Foreign Office would coordinate more with Iraq and Afghanistan officials and military and prioritise conflict prevention.

"We plan a diplomatic surge in the Middle East and south Asia by raising the number of staff by 30 per cent," he said in an article in The Sunday Times.

Miliband also said the next 12 months need to be "the year of vision and leadership" by Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East.

He said that 2008 would "show in word and deed" what the British government promised as "hard-headed internationalism".

Miliband said focus would also fall on Pakistan. "That means we can deepen our engagement with Pakistan to prevent the growth of extremism there,'' he said.