Bush calls for intl conference on Middle East

Washington, July 17: In a major new initiative, President Bush has called for an international conference later this year to jump start the West Asia peace process.

In a brief speech from the White House yesterday, he also pledged 80 million dollars to the Abbas government to bolster its security services in addition to the 190 million dollars in assistance that the US had allocated this year for the Palestinians.

Bush said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would chair the proposed meeting to be attended by Israel, the Abbas-led government and other countries of the region that support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

"The goal is to bring the dream of a Palestinian state much closer to reality," he said.

He said, "By supporting the reforms of President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad, we can help them show the world what a Palestinian state would look like and act like. We can help them prove to the world, the region and Israel that a Palestinian state would be a partner, not a danger." Bush said Secretary Rice and her counterparts would review the progress that had been made toward building Palestinian institutions.

"They will look for innovative and effective ways to support further reform. And they will provide diplomatic support for the parties in their bilateral discussions and negotiations," the President said.

He also urged the Israelis to stop settlement expansion and remove unauthorised outposts in Palestinian territory.

He called on the Palestinian government to do all it could to confront terrorism and block attacks on Israel.

UNI