Jerusalem -- Some "small steps" were accomplished, but "big steps" are needed to get the peace process back on track, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said September 12.

In an interview with ABC TV in Jerusalem, Albright said "we wanted ... to get away from this crisis of confidence, and so I'm pleased that Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Netanyahu have agreed to send their senior advisors to Washington at the beginning of the week-after-next, to begin to talk about how to get the process back on track." The week after these talks, the Secretary will host Foreign Minister David Levy, and Palestinian Deputy Abu Mazen, in New York.

Regarding her visit to Syria, Albright said "the Syrian track has been in suspended animation for some time. And given the importance of trying to have a comprehensive peace, we believe it is worth at least seeing whether there's a way to get some talks going again." She acknowledged that the United States is "troubled" by Syria's support for terrorism, but, she said, "I do think that it is generally agreed that having Syria is essential if we're going to have a comprehensive peace process."

Following is the transcript of the interview:

(Begin transcript)

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, I'd like to look forward with you, if I may, and ask you first of all -- just point blank: why are you going to Damascus?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, the Syrian track has been in suspended animation for some time. And given the importance of trying to have a comprehensive peace, we believe it is worth at least seeing whether there's a way to get some talks going again. I have no illusions, but I'm in the region, and I think it's worth seeing whether we can move on this track at all.

QUESTION: Your predecessor went there often. Some have said too often. And I'm wondering whether if the Israelis and the Syrians show readiness to make the kinds of tough decisions that they would have to make for a peace treaty, whether you would be prepared to get personally involved in trying to work one out, perhaps even involving, say, "shuttle diplomacy."

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, I have created a rule for myself, David, and that is that I will come back to the region when the big decisions are made, and I can make a difference. But I will not come back just to tread water.

QUESTION: Are you carrying any kind of message from the Israelis to President Assad?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I have had discussions, and I'm not going to go into the details of the discussions themselves. But I think that it -- the way that I think now is that it is worth us going to Damascus and trying to see if there's a way to reanimate these talks.

QUESTION: You'll be talking of course, to a man who leads a government that is on the State Department's list of states sponsoring or helping terrorism. Will that be part of the talks, and how does that factor in?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: We have thought all along that Syria is essential to having a comprehensive Middle East peace. Clearly we are troubled by support for terrorism, but I do think that it is generally agreed that having Syria is essential if we're going to have a comprehensive peace process.

QUESTION: Finally, let me just ask you -- moving to the subject you've been dealing with here. Do you feel that you've made progress here? And what sort of progress if so?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: David, I think that a lot of progress is needed, and big steps were needed. And all I can tell you about, is that I think we accomplished some small steps. We have wanted to have a -- to get away from this crisis of confidence, and so I'm pleased that Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Netanyahu have agreed to send their senior advisors to Washington at the beginning of the week-after-next, to begin to talk about how to get the process back on track. And then the week after that, I will host Foreign Minister David Levy, and Palestinian Deputy Abu Mazen, in New York to see how we can push the process further. But I'm the first one to say that these are small steps. And big steps are needed. I was a realist in coming here, and so I will honestly tell you, I wish there were more. It's a small beginning.

QUESTION: And at the end of your visit, at least in this part of the Middle East, are you more or less optimistic about the prospects for peace?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: You know what makes me optimistic? As you know I have spent time talking to young people here. I addressed a high school. I went to a high school in Ramallah today. And I have visited even young people who were in the hospital as a result of the bombing. And I am optimistic when I talk to those people. Even the young women that have been injured, and their faces are still healing after being burnt, have a light in their eyes, which indicated to me that there is hope, because the hope is in the young people.

QUESTION: One more on Syria, if I may. Since the election of Prime Minister Netanyahu, the image of Israel in the Arab world has plummeted, I think we could agree. And I'm wondering whether you think he is really ready to make the tough choices that he would have to make to have peace with Syria?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, I think it's hard to judge until we see how the process evolves. I think that Prime Minister Netanyahu is someone who wants peace for his country. I think he is determined to -- you know each leader has his own style, or her own style -- but I do think that he is somebody who wants peace, and I respect him. And I can work with him, we can all work with him, because I think he's aimed in the right direction.

QUESTION: Thank you very much.