Statement by Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Senator George Mitchell after meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman

April 16, 2009

American Embassy Tel Aviv, Press Section
Israeli Foreign Ministry, Jerusalem

Mr. Mitchell: Well, I want to thank the Foreign Minister for taking the time to meet with me this morning. I said to him that he is being overrun by Americans – there was a congressional delegation on the way out of his office as I walked in, and there will be many other American congressional delegations traveling this week, and in the coming weeks.

We had a good, full and candid discussion covering both the history of the process, going back to the 1990's, and continuing to the present, and also looking into the future on what can be done to achieve our common objectives. I reiterated to the Foreign Minister that US policy favors – with the respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – a two-state solution, which would have a Palestinian State living in peace alongside the Jewish State of Israel, and that we would look forward also to efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace throughout the region, and he described the efforts being made to make economic improvements and to get involved in other discussions with the Palestinians in the West Bank.

We agreed to meet again, and we look forward to exchanging ideas on future visits when we can compare the progress we are making as we seek to move forward.

Thank you all, very much.