    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [September 25, 2008]
    [Pages 1241-1242]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Prior to a Meeting With President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority
    September 25, 2008

        President Bush. Mr. President, welcome back. You and I have met a
    lot since I have been the President and you have been the President. And
    I appreciate your determination and your desire to have a Palestinian
    state, and I share that desire with you.
        It's not easy. No doubt it must be frustrating at times for you,
    because it's hard work to get a state after all these years. But
    nevertheless, there is a firm determination on your part and on my part
    to give the Palestinians a place where there can be dignity and hope.
        We are working hard with you on security matters. We're working hard
    with you on helping the international community help you get the economy
    going in the West Bank. And I welcome you back.
        As you know, I've got 4 more months left in office, and I'm hopeful
    that the vision that you and I have worked on can come to pass. And my
    only pledge to you is that I'll continue to work hard to see that it can
    come to pass. And so I welcome you back, and I think it's safe for me to
    say, I welcome you back, my friend.
        President Abbas. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I am
    delighted, as well as the members of my delegation, to come here again
    to Washington and meet with you. We've met together for numerous times.
    Mr. President, we know very well how important this issue is for you,
    and we will continue to work very hard together in order to realize your
    vision of two states living side by side.
        There is no doubt that you have done a great deal, Mr. President,
    and you have exerted a great deal of efforts aiming at

    [[Page 1242]]

    achieving that vision that we will work together to achieve. Your
    efforts, Mr. President, as well as your vision, both help us and the
    Israelis to work very hard during the last year and since the convening
    of the Annapolis conference. Hope will remain, Mr. President. We cannot
    live without hope. We will continue to work to achieve and realize that
    hope.
        And, Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to thank
    you and thank the United States for the help and the support and the aid
    that you have given us, and as well as the efforts that you led to
    mobilize the world to help the Palestinian Authority in--on the economic
    front as well as on the security front.
        Mr. President, we will continue to work with you, and we will
    continue to keep the hope alive in order to reach a political solution
    for our issue and for the Middle East.
        President Bush. Thank you, sir.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:13 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. President Abbas spoke in Arabic, and his remarks were translated
    by an interpreter.