[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 16 (Monday, April 19, 2004)]
[Pages 578-579]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Hosni Mubarak 
of Egypt

April 12, 2004

Thirty Years of American-Egyptian Relations: A Partnership for Peace and 
Development

    For thirty years, Egypt and the United States have enjoyed a 
partnership dedicated to peace, stability, prosperity, and freedom in 
the Middle East.
    Secretary Powell and Foreign Minister Maher plan soon to conduct a 
session of our bilateral strategic dialogue in Washington, reaffirming 
the determination of our two countries to strengthen our partnership.
    In our meetings today, we reiterated our resolve to continue 
working, along with our partners in the region, in Europe, and around 
the world, to promote peace in the Middle East, maintain regional 
stability, fight terrorism, and bolster the region's efforts toward 
economic, political, and social development and modernization.
    Our two nations have nurtured a vision of peace that is anchored by 
the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. This first peace agreement between 
Israel and an Arab country has been a model for subsequent endeavors to 
achieve a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region.
    Our two nations' unwavering commitment to this process led to the 
universal acceptance of the necessity and inevitability of a negotiated 
settlement. We envisage two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-
by-side in peace and security. We will continue our determined efforts 
in the forthcoming months to achieve these objectives. We believe that 
an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank can, under 
the right conditions, and if it is within the context of the 
implementation of the Roadmap and President Bush's vision, be a 
significant step forward. It is our firm conviction that resolving the 
Arab Israeli conflict will be a major contribution to stability and 
progress in the region, removing a major source of tension.
    Egypt and the United States also recognize the need for political 
and economic reform in the region. The United States has followed the 
steps taken by Egypt over the past few years, as well as the ongoing 
debate on reform in different sectors of Egyptian society. This ongoing 
debate, including the call for reform produced at the meeting of Arab 
civil society held at the Library of Alexandria last March, as well as 
the speech given by President Mubarak in the opening of that meeting 
reaffirming his commitment for a continuing reform process, provide for 
a constructive foundation for further efforts toward democracy and 
development.
    Egyptian-American cooperation will also continue to encompass many 
other areas. Iraq faces a critical moment in its history, with wide 
implications across the region. We are committed to helping the Iraqi 
people realize their aspirations to build a sovereign, prosperous, 
stable, unified, and peaceful modern nation.
    We intend to maintain our close cooperation in the fight against 
terrorism. Our two nations are among those who have suffered the most 
from the scourge and have no intention to relent in this fight. The 
United States expresses its appreciation for Egypt's invaluable help and 
its readiness to continue its contributions towards combating and 
eliminating terrorism.
    Since the 1970s, the United States has been Egypt's leading partner 
in economic, political, and social reform efforts, providing highly 
appreciated material and moral support. The two nations look forward to 
strengthening their partnership in this respect for the benefit of the 
people of both countries and region as a whole.
    The Egyptian-American partnership has promoted peace and stability, 
while supporting positive change in the Middle East, for thirty years. 
We are confident that it is equally capable of meeting the challenges of 
the next thirty years and beyond. We look forward to an intensified 
dialogue about Egyptian-American cooperation and partnership in the 21st 
century.

[[Page 579]]

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