Remarks With Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei

Secretary Colin L. Powell
Queen Alia International Airport
Amman, Jordan
May 15, 2004
www.state.gov/secretary/rm/32500.htm

PRIME MINISTER QUREI: We are very pleased to talk to Secretary Powell. We
discussed about the situation, about the peace process, how to revive the
peace process forward. And I think we had very, very constructive talks this
afternoon and I believe that it will reflect itself on the situation on the
ground, hopefully very soon. And therefore we are very pleased and we
welcome Mr. Powell again.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much Mr. Prime Minister. It was good to be
with you again, and I think we did have a constructive talk along with my
colleague Nabil Shaath and so many other of my good friends from the
Palestinian Authority. It has been a difficult time in recent weeks, but the
President is committed to moving forward on his vision of two states living
side by side in peace, Israel and Palestine. He has not stepped back one
inch from his 2002 speech.

We think that in recent weeks, with the announcement by the Israelis that
they intend to leave Gaza and certain settlements in the West Bank, we have
been given a new opportunity, and we hope to seize that opportunity.

The President has been in touch with leaders of the region, he has written
to Prime Minister Qurei, he has written to King Abdullah and has exchanged
statements with King Abdullah, President Mubarak and others.

And so we think, as a result of this change in the dynamic, and the
reengagement of the Quartet with a good Quartet statement out of New York
last week, and a very good discussion with the G-8 ministers yesterday, we
hope that we can get the process started again within the context of the
Roadmap and with the help of the Quartet and other international
organizations that wish to play a helpful role in the quest for peace. Thank
you.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, have you found Palestinians more receptive now to a
Sharon dialogue? Will they seek the opportunity, or is it too early to tell?

SECRETARY POWELL: I think that the Palestinians want to seize the
opportunity. They want to know more about it, of course. They want to see if
there are any restrictions on the proposal that would not be to their
advantage, and, frankly, we have to wait to see what the proposal actually
is. Prime Minister Sharon had one idea, but he's had to begin reviewing that
idea in light of the vote in the Likud party. And so, we are all waiting to
see what the actual plan is, and to see the details of that plan.

While waiting, we are beginning to - I think I can say, Mr. Prime Minister -
organize ourselves with the development of security plans, how to go about
taking control of Gaza when it comes to pass, and other territories when
they become available, as we move forward toward final status issues.

I reaffirmed to the Prime Minister and his colleagues what they President
has said; that final status issues can only be resolved by the two parties
talking to one another, not by outsiders, not by the United States. We can
help, and we may have opinions and ideas. But, ultimately, all final status
issues must be resolved by the parties, as anticipated in the Roadmap, and
on the well-known basis of 242, 338 and other relevant UN Resolutions.

QUESTION: [In Arabic]

SECRETARY POWELL: The President set the goal of a state by 2005 in his
speech in 2002. That would certainly be our goal, our desire. But, time is
passing, and we have to look at the reality of the situation, and I think if
anything, this says we need to redouble our efforts and get on with it. And
that's why, when Prime Minister Sharon came forward with his unilateral plan
for departure from Gaza and some settlements in the West Bank, we said, let'
s grab it, bring it into the Roadmap, and make it part of the path forward
in order to get going again. But I don't think anybody can predict right now
whether we will be able to achieve 2005 or not. But, right now, it's more
important to get started, and let's see progress, and then we'll see what
date that state can be achieved in, but the President would certainly like
to see 2005.

PRIME MINISTER QUREI: We discussed with Mr. Powell about the Roadmap and the
implementation of the Roadmap, hoping that it will be from now up to the end
of 2005. We have enough time to finish the negotiations and to have a
Palestinian state according to President Bush's vision, which means that a
Palestinian state in 2005 - and according to the Roadmap, also, that the
Palestinian state will be in 2005. I think, I believe, that we still have
the time, with the support of the United States, with the support of
President Bush, with the support of the Quartet, I believe that we can
achieve this goal.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.

PRIME MINISTET QUREI: Thank you.

2004/548

[End]