WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas will visit the United States separately in March or April, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Monday.
US President George W. Bush "is pleased that they've accepted the invitation, and looks forward to seeing both leaders later this spring" said the spokesman, Scott McClellan.
"I expect it'll be sometime in the March and April timeframe. These are going to be separate visits," McClellan told reporters, declining to say whether Bush hoped to organize a three-way summit after those meetings.
McClellan's comments came after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced during a stop in the West Bank that Sharon and Abbas had accepted Bush's invitations to visit the White House "in the spring."
It will be the first visit of a Palestinian leader to Washington since Bush came to power. Sharon last visited the White House in April last year on what was his ninth trip to Washington since taking office in March 2001.
"This is a very hopeful period we're in in the Middle East," said McClellan.
"We want to do everything we can to support efforts" to build an independent Palestinian state living side by side at peace with Israel.
"Everybody recognizes that there will periods of ups and downs along the way, but the steps that are being taken at this point in time are encouraging," said McClellan.
02/07/2005 15:21 GMT - AFP