Middle East peace hope to be achieved

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Source: CCTV.com | 11-27-2007 08:13

President George W. Bush hosts a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington November 26, 2007. (Loay Abu Haykel/Reuters)

US President George W. Bush, Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hope peace can finally be achieved.

This comes hours before the opening of a high-stakes international Middle East peace conference.

Statements from the three leaders focused on platitudes - with occasional hints of the serious divide between the parties. This comes after Olmert and Abbas held separate, individual meetings with Bush.

Bush welcomed the Israeli leader to the Oval Office saying he is looking forward to continuing serious dialogue with Olmert and Abbas, whether or not peace is possible.

George W. Bush, US President, said, "I'm optimistic, I know you are optimistic and I want to thank you for your courage and your friendship. I'm proud of you."

Acknowledging the presence of Arab nations at the Annapolis conference, Olmert says although talks will be bilateral, international support is very important.

U.S. President George W. Bush (R) hosts a meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington November 26, 2007. (Larry Downing/Reuters)

Ehud Olmert, Israeli Prime Minster, said, "This time, it's different because we are going to have a lots of participants in what I hope will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians."

Bush held a similar meeting with Abbas, saying the US wants to help. Abbas stressed the need for talks to address key issues of Palestinian statehood. These are contentious discussions that have doomed previous peace efforts.

Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President, said, "We hope this conference will produce permanent status negotiations, expanded negotiations over all permanent status issues that will lead to a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people."

A senior advisor to Abbas says a joint Palestinian-Israeli document is due to be released in the US late Monday. He says the paper will be a breakthrough to declaring success and showing the world the conference can launch the peace negotiation process.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei