CAIRO, Jan 25 (AFP) - William Burns, US assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, began a fresh diplomatic tour of the Middle East on Tuesday, saying there was hope for reigniting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
He arrived in Cairo ahead of meetings in Israel and the Palestinian territories following talks Wednesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Optimisim for a ceasefire has grown since Mahmud Abbas replaced the late Yasser Arafat as Palestinian leader earlier this month.
Burns told reporters that Washington was encouraged by Abbas's efforts to implement the rule of law, with the moment full of hope and promise.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit welcomed a "clear American desire to make things (the Middle East) move and push them forward".
"The aims of the peace process should be defined and a timetable fixed" for solving the conflict, Gheit said.
"The whole issue will be discussed with the Americans and Israelis, as well as with the quartet, so that the current climate favouring a resumption of the peace process reaches its final objective," he added.
On Monday, Burns met other representatives of the diplomatic "quartet" behind the roadmap, which comprises the United Nations, European Union, Russia and the United States.
01/25/2005 19:37 GMT - AFP