WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush assured Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas Thursday he was "confident" about reaching an agreement on creating a Palestinian state before he leaves office.
"I assured the president that a Palestinian state's a high priority, for me and my administration -- a viable state, a state that doesn't look like Swiss cheese, a state that provides hope," said Bush, whose terms ends in January.
During brief statements in the Oval office, Abbas thanked the US president for reviving stalled Middle East peace talks at a November peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, but warned "we are in a race against time."
"We believe that you actually are truly seeking a true, genuine and lasting peace in the Middle East. And I am certain that you would like to see an agreement and settlement before the end of your term," said Abbas, to which Bush nodded in agreement.
The negotiations are due to tackle some of the toughest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict including the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees, and what to do about Jewish settlements on the West Bank.
But Abbas suspended the fortnightly talks at the beginning of March after an Israeli military operation in Gaza killed more than 130 people. They were only renewed earlier this month.
The situation has also been complicated by the violence in Gaza, which is run by Hamas militants, who seized control of the region last year.
Bush and Abbas agreed the peace project faces daunting obstacles, but expressed confidence that the two sides can, by year's end, at least agree on what a Palestinian state would look like.
"I cannot say that the road to peace is paved with flowers; it is paved with obstacles. But together, we will work very hard in order to eliminate those obstacles and achieve peace," said Abbas.
"I'm confident we can achieve the definition of a state. I'm also confident it's going to require hard work. To that end, I'm going back to the Middle East. I'm looking forward to meeting you, sir," said Bush.
Abbas said Sunday that he was determined to fix the framework of a peace treaty before Bush leaves office.
The US president heads back to the region in May, a visit anchored on celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern state of Israel, and is expected to see Abbas at an economic summit in Egypt.
"Mr President, your efforts, the efforts of your administration, the various visits, your previous one and your upcoming visit to Sharm el-Sheikh and to the region, all of this is a strong indication that you are very keen to continue to work very hard and to achieve your vision," said Abbas.
Asked about the lack of concrete results from the talks since the Annapolis conference, Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said the process has "had much more halting progress than we would have liked and it's not moving fast enough.
"A lot of this is up to the Palestinians and the Israelis, who committed to trying to work something out by the end of the year. And we are hopeful that we can continue on that path, but we also know we have a heck of a lot of work to do," said Perino.
The Bush administration also flatly denied a report that it gave the green light to Israel to expand settlements that it would retain as part of a final peace deal with the Palestinians under the so-called "roadmap" to peace.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, quoted by The Washington Post, said this week that Bush four years ago gave a letter to Olmert's predecessor Ariel Sharon allowing Israel to expand those West Bank settlements.
"There is no such understanding," said Perino. "What the president is committed to is the roadmap, and it's right here in black and white.
"The two basic things are dismantling the settlement outposts erected since March of 2001; and then, consistent with the Mitchell Report, freezing all settlement activity, including natural growth of settlements," she said.
Abbas was to meet with Rice again later Thursday for a working dinner.
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