Washington: US President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, discussing the impact of Yasser Arafat's death, today (Nov 12, 2004) recommitted themselves to the creation of a democratic Palestinian State committed to religious tolerance, living side by side in peace and security with Israel.

"The United States and the United Kingdom share a vision of freedom, peace, and democracy for the Broader Middle East. That vision must include a just and peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, based on two democratic States, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security," said a statement issued after their talks.

"Now is the time to seize the opportunity of new circumstances in the region to redouble our efforts to achieve this goal. This will require a series of steps. First, we re-commit to the overarching two-State vision set out by President Bush in his statement of June 24, 2002 and repeated in the roadmap."

"Second, we will support the Palestinians as they choose a new President within the next 60 days and as they embark upon an electoral process that will lead to lasting democratic institutions. Third...the President and the Prime Minister have agreed to mobilise international support behind a plan to ensure that the Palestinians have the political, economic, and security infrastructure they need to create a viable State," the statement said.