Note: This Electronic Research Collection is an archive site. For the most current information, please visit the
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
93/09/14 Remarks at Israeli-Jordanian Signing Ceremony
Office of the Spokesman
REMARKS BY
SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER
AT THE ISRAELI-JORDANIAN SIGNING CEREMONY
Thomas Jefferson Room
Department of State
September 14, 1993
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: This is really an extraordinary week for the
Middle East peace process. Yesterday we witnessed the historic signing
of the Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles, an event that
really has forever altered the contours and chemistry of the entire
region.
As President Clinton said yesterday when he spoke of the children of the
Middle East, "Now we can give them a chance to know a season of peace."
Yesterday I expressed the hope that we could see progress toward a
comprehensive peace settlement between Israel and all of her Arab
neighbors. Today we take a very important step toward that very
comprehensive peace with the initialing of the Israeli-Jordanian
substantive agenda.
I have here with me today Mr. Viktor Posuvaluk, Director of the African
and Middle Eastern Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. I am
very pleased that you are here with me today, Viktor.
Together we are delighted to introduce the heads of the Jordanian and
Israeli negotiating teams: Ambassador Tarawneh of Jordan, right here on
my right; Mr. Elie Rubenstein and his Deputy, Mr. Eitan Bentsur, right
here on my left.
I don't think that anyone who has been working on these negotiations
would regard it amiss for me to pay special tribute to Elie Rubenstein,
who has been devoting his life to the problem of the peace between
Israel and its Arab neighbors ever since before Camp David and is one of
the leading experts on this subject. We are all in awe of his tireless
work on this track as well as on the other tracks.
I offer my congratulations to each and every member of these
delegations. You have created a substantive framework to negotiate; and
we hope to resolve vital issues between Israel and Jordan, issues such
as security, territory, refugees and displaced persons, natural
resources and economic cooperation. This framework is a sign post for
the progress that we hope and expect will soon come.
I want to say again, as I said yesterday, that the United States will
spare no effort in seeking peace throughout the Middle East. We remain
a full partner in the search for peace. We will do all we can to
facilitate these negotiations, just as the negotiations on the other
track.
We will be working with these parties, as well as [with] the Israeli-
Syrian parties and the Israeli-Lebanese parties. We believe today's
agenda which has been finalized will give a strong impetus, a strong
momentum, to the other negotiations as well as to this negotiation
itself.
We all share the objective of a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace
for the Middle East. This week, with yesterday's action and now today's
action, we have set a new direction toward a better future for the
region. Today's signing moves us a long step down the road toward
peace. And news this morning of Prime Minister Rabin's visit to Morocco
is just another sign of the momentum that is building all throughout the
Middle East on this peace process. It will be a difficult road, but we
are taking important steps day by day. And it's a great pleasure for me
to join these very important events.
(###)