WASHINGTON - The White House on Wednesday expressed strong doubts that an international Middle East peace conference could be held later this year as called for by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We believe there will be an appropriate time for an international conference, but we are not at that stage now, and I don't expect that we will be there by the fall," spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.
McClellan was commenting on Putin's announcement in Cairo earlier that he hoped to host such a gathering, with "all concerned parties" as well as the international diplomatic "quartet" on the Middle East.
The quartet, which groups Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, drafted a Middle East peace plan known as the roadmap, which calls for a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.
"We appreciate President Putin's commitment to the road map. Russia is a valued member of the quartet. And we appreciate their support for the road map," said McClellan.
The spokesman acknowledged that the roadmap calls for an international conference, but urged parties to the process to focus on Israel's controversial plan to withdraw entirely from Gaza and keep some settlements in the West Bank.
"That's where the focus needs to be right now, is doing all we can to make sure that that disengagement plan works and that it is a success, and that the Palestinian people are getting the support they need to build a viable democratic state," he said.
Putin, at a news conference with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said contacts were ongoing to determine the level of participation and the agenda for the conference.
He said he would to discuss the conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when they met on Thursday.
Putin also announced that the quartet would meet in Moscow on May 8 to review ways to jumpstart stalled negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
04/27/2005 17:41 GMT