Remarks Following Discussions With Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Barak and an Exchange With Reporters in Oslo

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Nov 8, 1999

November 2, 1999

Middle East Framework Agreement

The President. Ladies and gentlemen, we have just completed a very good meeting. I feel that we have revitalized the peace process, and we've got these final status--the framework talks off to a very good start.

Q. Is that the framework process, Mr. President?

The two sides have not only named their teams; they have agreed that the leaders will personally continue to meet on a regular basis. They have agreed to work very hard to avoid public comments or actions which will cause enormous difficulty for the other side in the next 100 days or so when they're trying to come to agreement on the framework. And they have agreed with me that we might well have a summit at the end of this process if enough progress has been made to make us all believe that, in good faith, we can actually get an agreement at a summit.

The President. The framework process, yes.

Q. When will you have that summit?

Q. [Inaudible]--their intentions, though?

The President. Well, when and whether depends upon what we're doing. We have a very ambitious timetable here. I think the timetable is the middle of February that they've agreed to have the framework agreement. So you won't have to wait long for answers to the details. We'll all be in high gear between now and then.

Thank you very much.

Q. Mr. President, is this more than you expected to come out of Oslo? Are you surprised?

The President. I feel quite good about it. I feel very good about it. I'm very pleased by it.

NOTE: The President spoke at 6:50 p.m. at the U.S. Ambassador's residence. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these remarks.