Foreign Secretary David Miliband marked the month of Ramadan with an Iftar (breaking of the fast) at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 7th September. At the Iftar he paid tribute to the contribution and achievements of Islamic Relief (an international relief and development charity) who celebrate 25 years of working in partnership with British Muslim communities to help alleviate the suffering of some of the world’s poorest people.

Islamic Relief raises over £100 million annually to tackle issues of hunger, illiteracy and diseases worldwide.

Over 200 people from across Britain's Muslim communities attended the Iftar. Speaking at the event, the Foreign Secretary praised the UK's diverse society and said Britain's two million Muslim citizens had made an outstanding contribution to the development and prosperity of Britain at national and international levels. He also spoke about the valuable work undertaken by Islamic Relief across all communities.

The Foreign Secretary called for a new partnership between countries like Britain and people in Muslim majority countries to help effectively tackle global problems such as nuclear proliferation, the Middle East peace process,  climate change, the stabilization of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the global economy. He said: "diplomacy and foreign policy is not just about connections between governments but also about connections between people".

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