A new Palestinian leadership would improve chances for the Middle East peace process, US President George W. Bush said on Wednesday after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

There will be "an opening for peace" when a new Palestinian leadership emerges in Palestine as the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is critically ill.

"When that happens, and I believe that it is going to happen ...the United States of America will be more than willing to help build the institutions for a free society to emerge so that the Palestinians can have their own state," Bush said.

Bush reiterated that he is committed to the two-state vision ofthe "roadmap" peace plan for the Middle East.

"The vision is two states, a Palestinian state and Israel living side by side in peace. I think we have got a chance to do that. I look forward to being involved in that process," Bush said.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan also said on Wednesday that the Bush will continue to push forward the "roadmap" peace plan.

"The president remains firmly committed to the two-state visionthat he outlined, and the roadmap is the way to get there," McClellan said at a news briefing.

For the past two years, the Bush administration has refused to deal with Arafat by accusing the Palestinian leader of failing to tackle terror.

Source: Xinhua