THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 4, 1999 STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT Camp David, Maryland 4:00 P.M. EDT The President: The new agreement which will be signed today between the Israelis and the Palestinians represents a wonderful opportunity to move the peace process forward. It is a product of hard work and the growing understanding by Israelis and Palestinians alike that the fulfillment of one side's aspirations must come with, and not at the expense of, the fulfillment of the other side's dreams. The two sides have both strong positions to be reconciled and shared interests to be pursued together. They know there's no sense in an endless tug of war over common ground. The United States has been honored to support these efforts for peace, from the signing of the Oslo Agreement on the White House lawn almost exactly six years ago, to the Wye River Accords achieved with the help of the late King Hussein, to the peace between Israel and Jordan itself in 1994, down to the present agreement. Our success in these endeavors, of course, goes back to the Camp David Accords under President Carter in 1978. Today I want to pay tribute to Prime Minister Barak for fulfilling his promise to seek a just and lasting peace for the people of Israel, and to Chairman Arafat for his courage in taking yet another step toward mutual respect and recognition. I am grateful for Egyptian President Mubarak's extraordinary efforts in this instance. He had a critical role in facilitating this agreement. And, of course, I want to say a special word of thanks to Secretary Albright and her team for going the extra mile to help the parties bridge their final gaps and reach consensus. There is much hard work ahead for all of us. The United States pledged in the Wye River Accords that we would help both sides minimize the risks of peace and we would help to lift the lives of the Palestinians. I ask Congress now to provide the funds we need to keep that promise. Final status talks are now set to begin. We will do everything we can to be supportive all along the way, and to achieve our larger goal -- a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the entire region, including Syria and Lebanon. I hope today's progress is seen by leaders in the Middle East as a stepping stone toward that larger goal. Our commitment to reaching it will never waver. Thank you very much.