U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit the Middle East next week, in an effort to push the Israeli-Palestinian peace process forward, State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said on Thursday.
"She will travel to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Egypt from November 5 to 9, ... she will meet her Quartet counterparts and senior government officials to discuss efforts to achieve positive and lasting peace in the region, consistent with the Annapolis process and the shared goal of a two-states solution, " said Wood.
The two-states solution, sponsored by the Bush administration in 2002, voices support to establish a sovereign, independent, democratic and viable Palestine through reaching a comprehensive peace treaty with Israel, living side-by-side in peace and security.
Based on the solution, the Quartet, namely the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, schemed a road map peace plan in 2003. The 3-phases plan, accepted by the Israeli government and the Palestinian authority, was dying due to the both sides failed to fulfill respective obligations listed on the plan.
Under the pressure imposed by the Bush administration, the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians agreed last November at the U.S.-hosted international conference, held in Maryland's Annapolis, to re-launch the stalled peace talks and try to hammer out a comprehensive peace treaty by the end of 2008.
The Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, however, have made little substantial progress due to deep differences on sensitive issues.
George W. Bush's presidential tenure is to end on January 20, 2009.