By DPA
Washington : The upcoming Middle East peace conference offers all sides a chance to “redouble their efforts” of achieving a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, US President George W. Bush said.
Bush said that the conference in Annapolis, Maryland Tuesday would offer a strong show of international support for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to restart peace talks and renew their commitment to a US-backed road map towards an independent Palestinian state.
“I call upon all those gathering in Annapolis this week to redouble their efforts to turn dreams of peace into reality,” Bush said in a statement issued Sunday. “I remain personally committed to implementing my vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.”
Representatives of more than 40 countries will be attending the conference in Annapolis. Arab nations, including Syria and Saudi Arabia who do not recognise Israel, have also agreed to come but have been pushing for a broader agenda than just the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa Friday said that the region’s goal was to realise a “comprehensive settlement” of a number of Arab causes. Syria confirmed it would attend Sunday amid indications from Israel that the disputed Golan Heights could be up for discussion.
US National Security Advisor Steve Hadley told reporters that the Golan Heights were not “specifically” on the agenda, but parties could bring up whatever issues they wished during the conference.
Hadley insisted the “focus” of the Annapolis conference would be the Israelis and Palestinians, though he said a number of Arab territorial concerns were inevitably part of a future solution.
“There is, of course, a recognition that to get to a comprehensive peace there will have to be negotiations in the future in separate tracks involving” Syria and Lebanon, he said.
Bush made no mention of other causes in his statement, saying the conference was aimed at jump-starting peace talks, re-launching the roadmap, a “review” of Palestinian efforts to build a democratic state and preparations for an upcoming donors conference in Paris.
“This conference will signal international support for the Israelis’ and Palestinians’ intention to commence negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realization of peace between these two peoples,” Bush said.
Hadley stressed that the conference was not itself a “negotiating forum,” but an “opportunity to move into a negotiating phase between Palestinians and Israelis.”