U.s. President George W. Bush, who will meet separately this spring with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, today offered encouraging words about the revival of the once-dead Middle East peace process. As regards the spring meetings with Abbas and Sharon, the U.S. president said, "The meetings just indicate that there's more work to be done. I look forward to meeting with them." Bush described the meetings as part of a process to build trust among all the parties in the peace process, with the objective of Palestinians and Israelis "living side-by-side in peace." He said the process will involve Palestinians, Israelis, the United States, Europe, and the United Nations. "What you're watching is a process unfolding where people are becoming more trustworthy," he said. The president said the background for peace talks has improved with Abbas' election. "Prime Minister Abbas comes to the table with a mandate from a lot of Palestinians. He has been through an election. He was endorsed by the Palestinian people," he told reporters in Washington after a cabinet meeting. Bush said he was impressed by Abbas' commitment to fighting terror and by Israel's assistance in last month's Palestinian elections.
