Bush, Olmert in farewell talks

2008-11-25 10:09

Washington - President George W Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday that the Middle East peace process which has so far failed to yield results will continue after the two leaders leave office.

The close allies spoke at the start of a farewell meeting before Bush leaves the White House on January 20 and as Olmert prepares to step down amid a corruption scandal after February 10 elections.

Although president-elect Barack Obama has vowed to continue to support the talks to end the 60-year conflict, the prospects of the process launched almost exactly a year ago at an international conference in Annapolis, Maryland remain shrouded in uncertainty.

"I believe that vision is alive and needs to be worked on," Bush said. "We strongly believe that Israel will benefit by having a Palestinian state, a democracy on her border that works for peace."

Olmert, on his part, said that the Annapolis process will continue because "a two-state solution is the only possible way to resolve the conflict in the Middle East".

Bush and Olmert, who wish to end their time in office with proof of some success, will use the talks to take stock of their work over the past three years, officials said.

But it remained unclear if they were to seek to draw up a document summarising the latest round of talks.

Chances of a breakthrough seem dim

The peace talks have made little apparent progress despite intensive meetings between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and strong US backing, as all sides have acknowledged they would not meet their declared goal of inking a peace treaty before Bush leaves office.

Chances of a breakthrough seem dim as Israel heads for elections and the Palestinians remain deeply divided between Western-backed president Mahmoud Abbas and the Islamist Hamas movement.

Olmert earlier met Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and vice president Dick Cheney as well as Democratic Congressman and Obama confidant Robert Wexler.

Another meeting with Rice has been set for 16:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Rice said on Sunday the peace talks were "in pretty good shape" and that the failure to reach a deal was "largely because of the political situation in Israel" following Olmert's resignation.

White House spokesperson Tony Fratto also defended the state of the talks.

"There has been a great deal of progress. We're much further along than we would otherwise be were it not for the start of the Annapolis process," Fratto said.

Growing international concern

Although they were unlikely to make any major decisions, the two were expected to discuss international efforts to halt Iran's controversial nuclear drive, which Israel and the US suspect is aimed at developing an atomic bomb, a claim denied by Tehran.

Olmert wants to clinch new commitments on Iran from his staunch ally before Obama, whose policy towards the Islamic republic has raised some concern in Israel, enters the White House, officials said.

Olmert will press Bush and Congress to allow Israel to purchase dozens of F-35 stealth fighter jets, which would considerably boost the Israeli air force's ability to carry out long-range strikes.

Over the past year, the United States has considerably increased its already tight defence ties with its ally, giving the Jewish state an unprecedented 10-year, $30bn defence aid commitment.

The aid comes amid growing US and international concern about Iran's missile and nuclear programmes and statements by Iran's leaders predicting that Israel is doomed to disappear.

- AFP