Obama: Israel-Egypt treaty inspires us to expand circle of peace
On 30th anniversary of historic peace accord, US president says 'success of Begin, Sadat, and Carter demonstrated that progress results from sustained efforts at communication and cooperation'
WASHINGTON - The 30th anniversary of the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel proves that peace is always possible, US President Barack Obama said Thursday.
"As we commemorate this historic event, we recall that peace is always possible even in the face of seemingly intractable conflicts," Obama said.
"The success of Prime Minister (Menachem) Begin, President (Anwar) Sadat, and President Jimmy Carter, begun at Camp David, demonstrated that progress results from sustained efforts at communication and cooperation," the American leader said.
"While much work remains, we honor the courage and foresight of these leaders, who stood together in unity to change the course of our shared history. Today, as we seek to expand the circle of peace among Arabs and Israelis, we take inspiration from what Israel and Egypt achieved three decades ago, knowing that the destination is worthy of the struggle."
Earlier Thursday, President Shimon Peres spoke to his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak and commended him for "working toward peace and stability in the Middle East.
Mubarak responded by saying that he does not plan on changing his policy vis-à-vis the peace with Israel, adding that "those who seek war know not what true war is."
The Egyptian leader added that Cairo was making every effort to advance the negotiations on an official ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.
