The United States will try to close a peace deal between Israel
and the Palestinians before President George W. Bush's term ends in
January 2009, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in
Washington on Wednesday.
Rice told reporters that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders
have pledged to work for a deal setting up an independent
Palestinian state before President Bush leaves the White House.
"We all know how long that is -- it's about a year," Rice told
reporters. "That's what we will try to do."
The Bush administration is hosting Israeli and Palestinian
leaders next week in Washington and at an international conference
in Annapolis, the capital of Maryland about 80 kilometers from the
US capital.
The conference, due to be held on Nov. 27, is supposed to launch
the first direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians
on a peace deal in seven years.
At least 49 countries and major international organizations are
expected to attend the meeting. But the guest list is not expected
to be final until this weekend.
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2007)
