Britain Will Work with Newly-Elected Islamic Governments

British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Friday pledged to support governments elected in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings, despite "legitimate concerns" over the rise of parties rooted in Islam.

Writing in The Times newspaper, Hague argued that the recent success enjoyed by religious parties did not mean the Arab Spring had turned into a "cold winter", warning that bad governance would again force demonstrators onto the streets.

"It is true that parties drawing their inspiration from Islam have done better at the polls than secular parties and there are legitimate concerns about what this will mean," Hague wrote in Friday's edition.

"We must respect these choices while upholding our own principles of human rights and freedom and urging the highest standards," he added. "The true test of these governments will be how they act in office."

The former Conservative Party leader warned that expressing favor for certain parties or philosophies in the ongoing series of Middle East elections would "fatally undermine faith in our intentions and our support for democracy."

Prime Minister David Cameron avoided meeting with officials from Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood during a visit last year, calling them "extreme", but Britain now seems keen to build bridges after the party's strong showing in recent polls.

Hague vowed to "redouble our diplomatic and long-term support to the region", saying that the Arab Spring was "always going to be a long process, not an instant fix".

The minister predicted a bumpy ride ahead for the region, pointing to Syrian President Bashar Assad's violent crackdown on protesters.

Britain remains devoted to supporting the Arab League in its attempts to broker an end to the Syrian violence while maintaining economic and diplomatic pressure on the regime, stressed Hague.

Britain was at the forefront of international efforts to support Libya's rebels against then leader Moammar Gadhafi, and was one of the first countries alongside France and the U.S. to launch military action under a U.N. mandate in March.