Secretary Rice: Travel to Russia and the Middle East, October 11-18, 2007

The Middle East: Moving the Process Forward (Oct. 18): "This trip was important to get a sense of where the parties are, to have a chance to see what needs to be done to help them achieve what they're trying to achieve. Obviously, this is the beginning of a process and it’s the most serious process that they've had in some time....The teams are serious, the people are serious, the issues are serious. And so I'm not surprised that there are some tensions. I'm not surprised that there are some ups and downs. That's the character of this kind of endeavor. But I was encouraged by what I heard." Photos from Russia Photos From Middle East

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to Russia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Egypt and Jordan October 11-18, 2007. The Secretary visited Moscow with Secretary of Defense Gates October 12-13 to engage in strategic security talks with their Russian counterparts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Defense Anatoliy Serdyukov. The discussions centered on a number of security issues of mutual concern, including cooperation in the area of Missile Defense. Secretary Rice was in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Ramallah October 14-18 to meet with leaders from Israel and the Palestinian Authority in support of the ongoing efforts to lay a foundation for serious negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state as soon as possible. The Secretary supports these efforts and stands ready to assist the parties as they work through these issues. We look forward to an international meeting later this fall, which we expect to be substantive and serious, about the core issues, and focused on supporting the efforts of Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas to realize the President’s vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security. The Secretary also traveled to Egypt on October 16th and to Jordan on October 18th for meetings with leaders in each country in support of the peace process. --10/18/07 Briefing En Route London, England --10/17/07 Remarks With Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni --10/17/07 Remarks with Palestinian Minister of Women's Affairs and Tourism Kholoud Daybis --10/16/07 Interview With Nihal Saad of Nile Television --10/16/07 Remarks With Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit --10/15/07 Roundtable Interview With Traveling Press --10/15/07 Remarks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas --10/15/07 Interview With Ayala Hasson, Channel 1 --10/15/07 Interview With Jonathan Karl of ABC --10/15/07 Interview With Raed Duzdar of Pal Medi --10/14/07 Briefing En Route Tel Aviv, Israel --10/13/07 Interview With Jonathan Karl of ABC --10/13/07 Roundtable With Traveling Press --10/12/07 Background Briefing By Three Senior Administration Officials --10/12/07 Interview With Sergey Brilev of RTR TV --10/12/07 Remarks with Defense Secretary Gates, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Defense Minister Serdyukov After 2+2 Meetings --10/11/07 Briefing En Route Moscow, Russia --10/05/07 Assistant Secretary Fried Briefs on Upcoming Moscow 2+2 Meeting