Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the Middle East Peace Conference

We are extremely pleased that we now have in hand the acceptances of all those invited to participate in the Middle East peace conference. We believe this positive response constitutes another significant milestone on the path of resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. As the President said at the time the invitations were issued, we view this conference as having the potential to bring true peace and security to the region. We very much hope that all those attending will come to Madrid with an open mind, ready to begin on October 30 to set aside the hatreds and suspicions of the past and work toward building a new, more peaceful Middle East.