    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [November 13, 2001]
    [Page 1402]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on the Middle
    East
    November 13, 2001

        We express our deep concern over the situation in the Middle East,
    which has led to untold suffering by Palestinians and Israelis during
    the past year. The violence and terror must end.
        The United States and Russia, as cosponsors of the Middle East peace
    process, call upon the leadership of Israel and the Palestinian
    Authority to take urgent steps to ease tension, as well as to refrain
    from actions that are harmful to the other side and to resume the
    dialogue at a high political level. It is also necessary to proceed
    without delay towards the implementation of the Tenet workplan and the
    Mitchell Report recommendations: to end the violence, to set up stable
    cooperation in the area of security, to implement confidence-building
    measures, and to resume the substantive negotiating process.
        Our two nations, acting in concert with other key parties, are
    stepping up their efforts aimed at facilitating early resolution of the
    crisis in the region and resuming negotiations on all tracks--
    Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese--in the interests of making progress
    toward a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East, based on the
    Madrid principles, UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, and
    existing agreements and accords.

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.