Rice touts 'most serious' Mideast peace efforts in years

RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- Israel and Palestinian negotiators are involved in the most serious effort in "many, many years" to try to end the Mideast conflict, said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday.

"Frankly, it's time for the establishment of a Palestinian state and it's time for Israel to live in the security that is going to come with a peaceful and democratic neighbor," Rice said.

A day after meeting with Israeli leaders, Rice met in the West Bank with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and said she's pushing both sides to work "intensely" toward agreeing on a "serious, substantive and concrete" framework for a November peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

During a joint news conference with Rice, Abbas indicated his negotiators have already agreed on some issues with Israel, but he did not specify which ones.

"The Palestinian and Israeli delegations have started the work in order to prepare the document," said Abbas. "And certainly before we go to Washington this document will be ready." Watch Rice on how she senses a "seriousness" in the talks »

Moderate Arab nations have not yet said they would attend the conference, according to The Associated Press. No date has been announced for the conference.

Rice described both sides as working with "great seriousness" and "great commitment" to avoid a conference that might prove fruitless.

"We quite frankly have better things to do than invite people to Annapolis for a photo op," Rice said.

"The very senior people that they have appointed to lead these delegations suggest to me that this is the most serious effort to try to end this conflict in many, many years," she said.

Abbas said negotiators from both sides are working on a joint document "that would set the parameters and the foundations of the settlement of final status issues" such as Jerusalem, borders, settlements and refugees.

He said Palestinian negotiators are up against a fixed deadline and are "working very intensively and making every effort" to make the conference succeed.

Both sides have been at odds over how specific the statement should be. The Palestinians seek an explicit timetable for final status issues and the Israelis prefer more general wording.

The Associated Press reported on Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet he didn't regard the joint declaration of principles to be a prerequisite for the conference.

Rice said Monday that Palestinian concerns are a key part to ending the conflict, but the concerns don't necessarily need to be detailed in the framework agreement.

"They're not going to try to solve everything in this November document, but it does need to be a serious, substantive and concrete document that can demonstrate that there is a way forward," she said.

The November conference "has to trigger the negotiations on the final status agreement," Rice said. That agreement with Israel "must involve looking to improve the lives of Palestinians economically, to improve the lives of the Palestinians in terms of movement and access."

Rice said the United States "sees the establishment of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution as absolutely essential for the future, not just of Palestinians and Israelis but also for the Middle East and indeed to American interests." E-mail to a friend

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