Bush Meets Arab Ministers to Find Pathway to Mideast Peace

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, July 19, 2002

Bush Meets Arab Ministers to Find Pathway to Mideast Peace

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US President George W. Bush Thursday met with three Arab ministers in the White House to discuss how to move the Middle East peace process forward on the basis of a US peace initiative unveiled last month.

The three ministers, including Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal and Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher, held separate talks and a joint luncheon meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the State Department before meeting with Bush.

Speaking to reporters before their formal talks, Bush issued a brief statement to outline US vision for the Middle East, including two states (Israel and Palestine) living side by side inpeace.

He said the US will continue to work with all parties concernedto achieve the pathway to peace.

Asked whether the US would consider any ceremonial role for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in a permanent Palestinian state,Bush reiterated that "the issue is bigger than any single person."

"Our discussions will center on how to have institutions in place that will truly represent the will of the Palestinian people,that will give confidence to the world that we can spend money in a way that helps the Palestinians; that when we talk about security, there are security forces there aimed at protecting people from terrorist attack, as opposed to enabling people to stay in office," he said.

He said the fresh outbreak of violence in the Middle East over the past few days was not coincidental. "It's very interesting that these leaders came to our country to discuss peace, and the terrorists attacked. It's clear that a few want to damage the hopes of many," Bush noted.

"By working to put institutions in place, that will help on security and finances and government, institutions which will outlast any single leaders. And so that's what we're going to discuss today," Bush said.

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