BUSH, MUBARAK DISAGREE ON TIMETABLE FOR PALESTINIAN STATE (WITH U.S.-MUBARAK0 WASHINGTON, JUNE 8 (KUNA) -- PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK DISAGREED ON SATURDAY ON THE NEED TO ESTABLISH A FIXED TIMETABLE FOR CREATION OF A PALESTINIAN STATE. BUT AT THE CONCLUSION OF MEETINGS ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING AT CAMP DAVID, MARYLAND, BOTH PRESIDENTS EXPRESSED A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, WHICH BOTH AGREE IS CENTRAL TO HOPES FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BUSH AND MUBARAK EACH READ PREPARED STATEMENTS DURING A JOINT OUTDOOR APPEARANCE AT CAMP DAVID, WITH MUBARAK READING HIS STATEMENT IN ARABIC. "MR. PRESIDENT, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD TO CHART THE CORRECT PATH ON THE ROAD TO PEACE SO THAT WE CAN COMPLETE TOGETHER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MISSION THAT WE HAVE STARTED TOGETHER HERE AT CAMP DAVID MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO TO ACHIEVE JUST, COMPREHENSIVE AND LASTING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST," MUBARAK SAID. "I AM CONFIDENT THAT OUR JOINT EFFORTS, SUPPORTED BY A SOLID DETERMINATION, WILL LEAD US TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL IN THE NEAR FUTURE," MUBARAK SAID. BUSH WAS ASKED IF HE AGREED WITH MUBARAK THAT THERE SHOULD BE A DEADLINE FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF A PALESTINIAN STATE. "HERE IS THE TIMETABLE I HAVE IN MIND," BUSH SAID. "WE NEED TO START IMMEDIATELY IN BUILDING THE INSTITUTIONS NECESSARY FOR THE EMERGENCE OF A PALESTINIAN STATE, WHICH ON THE ONE HAND WILL GIVE HOPE TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, AND ON THE OTHER HAND, WILL SAY TO THE WORLD, INCLUDING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT THERE IS A CHANCE TO LIVE IN PEACE, TO DEFEAT TERROR." "I ALSO AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT OF EGYPT THAT AS WE DISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTITUTIONS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE HOPE AND SECURITY IN THE REGION, THAT WE HAVE GOT TO ... HAVE A POLITICAL DIALOGUE," BUSH SAID. "PART OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS WE ARE HAVING IS TO DETERMINE WHAT IS FEASIBLE IN TERMS OF THAT POLITICAL DIALOGUE, WHAT IS FEASIBLE IN TERMS OF THE TIMETABLE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ANXIOUS TO TALK ABOUT." THE UNITED STATES "IS NOT READY TO LAY DOWN A SPECIFIC CALENDAR EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO GET STARTED QUICKLY, SOON, SO THAT WE CAN SEIZE THE MOMENT," BUSH SAID. (MORE) -- BUSH THEN READ FROM NOTES HE TOOK WHILE MUBARAK SPOKE, AND QUOTED MUBARAK AS SAYING THAT "AN EFFECTIVE AND SYSTEMATIC WAY" MUST BE FOUND TO REACH BUSH'S VISION OF A PALESTINIAN STATE EXISTING ALONGSIDE ISRAEL IN PEACE AND SECURITY. BUSH REPEATED HIS POSITION THAT REFORM OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY MUST PRECEDE A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT, AND HE AGAIN EXPRESSED HIS DISAPPOINTMENT IN PALESTINIAN LEADER YASSER ARAFAT FOR FAILING TO DO ENOUGH TO HALT PALESTINIAN ATTACKS ON ISRAELIS. MUBARAK WAS ASKED IF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY REFORMS BUSH INSISTS UPON CAN BE ACHIEVED BY ARAFAT. "LOOK," MUBARAK SAID. "WE SHOULD GIVE THIS MAN A CHANCE. WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES FOR THE REFORM IN THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY. SUCH A CHANCE WILL PROVE WHETHER HE (ARAFAT) IS GOING TO DELIVER OR NOT." "IF HE IS GOING TO DELIVER, I THINK EVERYBODY WILL SUPPORT HIM," MUBARAK SAID. "IF HE IS NOT GOING TO DELIVER, HIS PEOPLE WILL TELL HIM THAT." WHEN BUSH WAS ASKED ABOUT THE THORNY PROBLEM OF ISRAELI EXPANSION OF SETTLEMENTS ON OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN LANDS, BUSH SAID, "ALL PARTIES HAVE GOT RESPONSIBILITIES TO ACHIEVE PEACE, INCLUDING THE ISRAELIS. ISRAEL MUST WORK TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE PEACE, AND MY POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE THAT SPEECH (ON APRIL 4)." "ARAB LEADERS UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR US TO DEVELOP THE INSTITUTIONS NECESSARY FOR A PEACEFUL AND HOPEFUL STATE (OF PALESTINE) TO EMERGE," BUSH SAID, IN ANSWER TO ANOTHER QUESTION. "CHAIRMAN ARAFAT IS NOT THE ISSUE," BUSH SAID. "THE ISSUE IS WHETHER OR NOT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE CAN HAVE A HOPEFUL FUTURE. ... MY FOCUS IS ON THE REFORMS NECESSARY TO HELP THE PALESTINIANS." INDICATING THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK BEYOND ARAFAT, BUSH SAID, "I ALSO HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS PLENTY OF TALENT AMONG THE PALESTINIANS, AND THAT IF WE DEVELOP THE INSTITUTIONS NECESSARY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A (PALESTINIAN) STATE, THAT TALENT WILL EMERGE. THE ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN ONE PERSON." "THE ISSUE IS AN ISSUE THAT REALLY DEALS WITH PEOPLE WHO SUFFER AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO HOPE, AND I BELIEVE IT IS IN THE PALESTINIANS' INTEREST TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT STATE AT PEACE WITH ITS NEIGHBORS, AND I BELIEVE IT IS IN ISRAEL'S INTEREST," BUSH SAID. (MORE) - BOTH BUSH AND MUBARAK WERE ASKED IF IT WAS REALISTIC TO REQUEST A COMPLETE HALT TO VIOLENCE BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS AS A PRECONDITION FOR RESUMING POLITICAL NEGOTIATIONS. MUBARAK NOTED THAT ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON HAS ALWAYS REFUSED TO RESUME SUCH TALKS UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS. "I DO NOT THINK THE VIOLENCE WILL COME TO AN END UNLESS THE (PALESTINIAN) PEOPLE FEEL THERE IS HOPE FOR PEACE, AND THERE IS SOMETHING TO SHOW THAT PEACE IS COMING," MUBARAK SAID. "IF THEY DO NOT FEEL THAT, THEN THEY WILL NOT STOP VIOLENCE. IT WILL CONTINUE FOREVER," MUBARAK ADDED. "CHAIRMAN ARAFAT MUST DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO STOP THE VIOLENCE, TO STOP THE ATTACKS ON ISRAEL. I MEAN EVERYTHING," BUSH SAID, "AND THAT INCLUDES REFORMING THE (PALESTINIAN) SECURITY FORCES SO THAT THEIR PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO DEAL WITH VIOLENCE." "THE ARAB WORLD MUST WORK HARD TO DEFEAT TERROR AND VIOLENCE," BUSH SAID, NOTING AGAIN HIS BELIEF THAT MUBARAK IS WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. "THE ONE THING I AM CERTAIN OF IS WE HAVE GOT TO FOCUS A LOT OF ENERGY AND ATTENTION ON STOPPING VIOLENCE, NOT ONLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, BUT ALL AROUND THE WORLD," BUSH SAID. BUSH WAS SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH SHARON IN WASHINGTON ON MONDAY. (END) RM .BZ.
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