(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Annapolis, Maryland)
November 27, 2007
JOINT UNDERSTANDING READ BY PRESIDENT BUSH
AT ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE
Buchanan House
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland
PRESIDENT BUSH: The representatives of the
government of the state of Israel and the Palestinian Liberation
Organization, represented respective by Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert, and President Mahmoud Abbas in his capacity as Chairman
of the PLO Executive Committee and President of the Palestinian
Authority, have convened in Annapolis, Maryland, under the
auspices of President George W. Bush of the United States
of America, and with the support of the participants of
this international conference, having concluded the following
joint understanding.
We express our determination to bring an
end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between
our peoples; to usher in a new era of peace, based on freedom,
security, justice, dignity, respect and mutual recognition;
to propagate a culture of peace and nonviolence; to confront
terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians
or Israelis. In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel
and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security,
we agree to immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations
in order to conclude a peace treaty, resolving all outstanding
issues, including all core issues without exception, as
specified in previous agreements.
We agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing
and continuous negotiations, and shall make every effort
to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008. For this
purpose, a steering committee, led jointly by the head of
the delegation of each party, will meet continuously, as
agreed. The steering committee will develop a joint work
plan and establish and oversee the work of negotiations
teams to address all issues, to be headed by one lead representative
from each party. The first session of the steering committee
will be held on 12 December 2007.
President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert
will continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to follow up
the negotiations in order to offer all necessary assistance
for their advancement.
The parties also commit to immediately implement
their respective obligations under the performance-based
road map to a permanent two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian
conflict, issued by the Quartet on 30 April 2003 -- this
is called the road map -- and agree to form an American,
Palestinian and Israeli mechanism, led by the United States,
to follow up on the implementation of the road map.
The parties further commit to continue the
implementation of the ongoing obligations of the road map
until they reach a peace treaty. The United States will
monitor and judge the fulfillment of the commitment of both
sides of the road map. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties,
implementation of the future peace treaty will be subject
to the implementation of the road map, as judged by the
United States.
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