JERUSALEM: U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM BURNS MEETS WITH SHIMON PERES ON HIS TOUR OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Record ID:
223053
JERUSALEM: U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM BURNS MEETS WITH SHIMON PERES ON HIS TOUR OF THE MIDDLE EAST
- Title: JERUSALEM: U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM BURNS MEETS WITH SHIMON PERES ON HIS TOUR OF THE MIDDLE EAST
- Date: 26th January 2005
- Summary: (BN12) JERUSALEM (JANUARY 26, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV UNITED STATES AND ISRAELI FLAGS IN LOBBY OF HOTEL 0.03 2. SV OF U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, WILLIAM BURNS WITH ISRAELI VICE PREMIER SHIMON PERES / SHAKING HANDS/ PAN TO MCU U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM BURNS, SAYING: "Well, first it's a pleasure to have the chance to talk to Mr. Peres about a range of issues. The purpose of my visit is a very straight-forward one. In the United States we see a very promising moment here for both Israelis and Palestinians. We want to do everything that we can and President Bush is committed to doing everything that we can to take advantage of that moment. I've been encouraged by steps that President Abbas has taken on security and by the Israeli reaction to those steps and we've had a very good opportunity over the last hour to talk about ways in which we can help revive economic hope for Palestinians as well. And there are many countries around the world that can participate and contribute to that. Certainly, the United States will do its part as well." 1.12 3. MCU (English) ISRAELI VICE PREMIER SHIMON PERES, SAYING: "I can say that the intention of the Israeli government is really to be of help. And, really to try to match the two opportunities - the political and economic ones - so hope will not be lost."/ BURNS SHAKING HANDS AND STANDING WITH PERES 1.40 4. SLV EXTERIOR OF HOTEL 1.44 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 10th February 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JERUSALEM
- City:
- Country: Israel
- Reuters ID: LVA3TOLFG8X5WQ1O5VSC7TUT5IXB
- Story Text: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns has
met with Shimon Peres on his tour of the Middle East, in an
attempt to help the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian
peace talks after the Palestinian elections.
Israel and the Palestinians ended a nearly two-year
freeze in high-level diplomatic talks on Wednesday (January
26) and agreed to prepare next week for a first summit
between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Mahmoud
Abbas.
The talks aim to build on a lull in Palestinian
militant attacks engineered by Abbas, who this month
succeeded late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
After four years of keeping its distance, U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State William Burns met with Israeli
Vice Premier Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on a fresh White
House mission to revive the "road map" envisaging a
Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
co-existing with a secure Israel.
Burns is expected to explore what the United States
itself can do to move the process forward.
"In the United States we see a very promising moment
here for both Israelis and Palestinians. We want to do
everything that we can and President Bush is committed to
doing everything that we can to take advantage of that
moment," Burns said following his meeting with Peres.
"We've had a very good opportunity over the last hour
to talk about ways in which we can help revive economic
hope for Palestinians as well. And there are many countries
around the world that can participate and contribute to
that. Certainly, the United States will do its part," he
said.
A State Department spokesman declined to say if Burns
would discuss the land seizures with Israeli officials or
encourage the Jewish government to make concessions, like
prisoner releases, to help Abbas win backing from radical
Palestinians.
"I can say that the intention of the Israeli government
is really to be of help. And, really to try to match the
two opportunities - the political and economic ones - so
hope will not be lost," Peres said of Israel's commitments
to the cause.
Officials said senior aides to the Israeli and
Palestinian leaders would reconvene next week to hammer out
details for the summit, the first since shortly after
Palestinian militants launched an uprising in late 2000.
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