Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel

President Bush. Mr. Prime Minister, welcome. It's an honor to have you back in the Oval Office. Thanks for coming to the Annapolis Conference. I'm looking forward to continuing our serious dialog with you and the President of the Palestinian Authority to see whether or not peace is possible. I'm optimistic. I know you're optimistic, and I want to thank you for your courage and your friendship. I'm proud your—I'm proud of you.

Prime Minister Olmert. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I'm delighted to come with my colleagues to—another time to the Oval Office. This time it's different because we are going to have lots of participants in what I hope will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians. This will be a bilateral process, but the international support is very important for us.

And I thank you for the efforts that you, President, made in order to make it possible, and the Secretary of State, together with us, in order to come to this point where from we and the Palestinians will sit together in Jerusalem and work out something that will be very good to create a great hope for our peoples.

President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you all.