Mr Cameron on a walkabout in Cairo’s Tahrir Square before heading to Kuwait Only political and economic reform can ensure long-term stability in north Africa and the Middle East, David Cameron will say in a speech later.
He will tell the Kuwaiti parliament that only freedom, justice and the rule of law will allow countries to meet the aspirations of their young populations.
On Monday, while in Egypt, he said that country had a “great opportunity” to push for democracy.
He also condemned the Libyan regime’s violent reaction to protests there.
The regime’s actions were appalling and unacceptable, he said.
At least 233 people have died in the last week, according to Human Rights Watch, but Mr Cameron said aspirations for Libyan democracy should be met with reform, not repression.
Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi is clinging on to power and in an overnight appearance on state TV, he criticised “rumours” he had fled to Venezuela and insisted he was still in the capital, Tripoli.
Mr Cameron will be attending ceremonies in Kuwait marking the 20th anniversary of Iraq’s invasion, which sparked the first Gulf war.
BBC political correspondent James Landale said that in his speech later, Mr Cameron would, in effect, be setting out a new foreign policy for Britain.
British governments have in the past promoted trade and security links with regimes in the Middle East, while ignoring what some of its allies have done to their people, our correspondent said.
But Mr Cameron will say this is a false choice and that only political and economic reform can ensure long-term stability.
Mr Cameron will also say there are grounds for “cautious optimism” in the region because the majority of protesters seeking change have done so “peacefully and bravely”.
He arrived in Kuwait City from Egypt, where he had met caretaker Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and the de facto leader, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Cameron had said: “This is a great opportunity for us to go and talk to those currently running Egypt to make sure this really is a genuine transition from military rule to civilian rule, and see what friendly countries like Britain and others in Europe can do to help.”
Mr Cameron walked through Tahrir Square, the centre of the demonstrations that led to the fall of President Mubarak, and met figures from the protest movement, although not representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood – the banned Islamic group which is thought to have widespread public support.
During his visit, which was originally planned as a trade-centred tour of the Middle East but was altered to include Egypt, Mr Cameron has been defending trade between British arms companies and some regimes in the Arab world.
The Foreign Office has revoked a series of export licences to Bahrain and Libya covering tear gas and gun components.
Mr Cameron said: “Britain has a range of strong defence relationships with countries in the region.
“I seem to remember we spent a lot of effort and indeed life in defending and helping to defend Kuwait, so the idea that Britain should not have defence relationships with some of these countries I don’t understand. It is quite right that we do.
“We have some of the toughest rules on export licences and exports of arms anywhere in the world. Everything has to meet those rules.”
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