[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 50 (Monday, December 20, 1999)]
[Page 2627]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Barak of Israel and 
Foreign Minister al-Shara of Syria

December 16, 1999

Middle East Peace Process

    Over the past 48 hours, Israel and Syria have taken a critical step 
in the journey toward peace. That journey will be a difficult one, but 
with courage and perseverance on both sides, the result will be deeply 
rewarding to the people of Israel and to the people of Syria.
    In the course of their meetings with Secretary Albright and with me, 
Prime Minister Barak and Foreign Minister Shara agreed to make every 
effort to reach peace between Israel and Syria as part of a just, 
lasting, and comprehensive Middle East peace, based on United Nations 
resolutions 242 and 338, and the Madrid terms of reference. To that end, 
the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister agreed to return to 
Washington to continue their negotiations on an intensive basis 
beginning January 3, 2000, about 2 weeks from now.
    They have requested the United States to participate in these 
negotiations, and we are honored to do so. They agreed to take steps to 
ensure that these negotiations will be conducted in a productive and 
positive atmosphere.
    We are witnessing a new beginning in the effort to achieve a 
comprehensive peace in the Middle East. With Syrian-Israeli negotiations 
off to a good start, Israeli-Lebanese negotiations expected to begin 
soon, and the Palestinian track well underway, we can truly set our 
sights on a new and different Middle East.
    As I emphasized from the outset, the journey will be tough. Nothing 
in the past 48 hours should lead us to believe otherwise. But the 
parties are embarked on this path. They have agreed there should be no 
looking back, for the sake of our generations and generations yet to 
come.
    I thank the Prime Minister and his team. I thank Foreign Minister 
Shara and his team. I thank Secretary Albright and those on the American 
team. All of them have worked hard. And I want Israel and Syria to know 
they can count on the United States every step of the way.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 3:40 p.m. in the West Portico at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Ehud Barak of 
Israel and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara of Syria.