For Immediate Release
March 15, 2003
Global Message
KEY POINTS Middle East Peace
President Bush is committed to achieving the vision of two
states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and
security, as he spelled out in his speech last June.
All parties - the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the Arab
states - have responsibilities to work to achieve this vision.
Working with members of the Quartet last year - officials from
the US, the EU, Russia, and the UN - we developed a Roadmap meant to
set forth the steps needed to realize the President's vision.
President Bush announced Friday that he is prepared to deliver
the Roadmap to the parties, Israeli and Palestinian, as soon as the
Palestinians create an empowered Prime Minister position and fill it
with a credible person.
This is an auspicious time for peace in the Middle East. A new
Israeli government is in place. And the Palestinians may be on the
verge of implementing important reforms.
Aiding Palestinians reform will encourage the development of
democratic institutions, modernization, and prosperity in the region.
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