June 7, 2009

Good Evening. It is a pleasure to see all of you. I just finished a very constructive meeting with the Secretary General of the Arab League and we had an opportunity to talk about many of the ideas that President Obama outlined in his speech here in Cairo a few days ago. The possibilities in the agenda that President Obama proposed are possibilities for all of us to work together in the region and the opportunity for a new beginning for the United States and the Muslim world. I think we have a great deal of work before us. On the United States side we are determined to work very hard to try to produce tangible accomplishments, not only on the Palestinian issue but in all areas that President Obama identified. It is a good opportunity in an important moment for the United States and for the Arab world. Thank you.

Q: This was the first time a United States President speaks to the Arab and Muslim world as partners and it was so hailed, but let me ask you, you did not put out clear plan to formulate a clear policy here for the Middle East and what are your expectations from the Arab World?

Under Secretary Burns: On the first question, what the President did was to speak very plainly about the problems before all of us and about the determination of the United States to exercise our responsibilities to help to solve them. He also made clear that all of us have responsibilities with regard to the Palestinian issue -- Palestinians, Israelis and Arab states themselves. Of course, we are going to work on practical ways to apply those principles in that broad vision that the president laid out and we are going to want to work with our partners in the Arab world to try to develop those kinds of practical approaches. The last thing I would say is that we will do that with a real sense of urgency. I think it is significant that the president is making clear his determination at the very beginning of his presidency, not seven or eight years later but at the very beginning, and that is a recognition of the centrality of all the issues that he has laid out in his agenda, but particularly the Palestinian issue and the importance of us making progress.

Q: What about your expectations from the Arabs?

Under Secretary Burns: I hope very much that we will see Arab states willing to take significant steps as we move ahead in this process because, as the President made clear, all of us have responsibilities. We will do our part and we are going to work very closely with our partners in the Arab world.

Q: Do you think that the Israelis are moving closer to the idea that President Obama proposed in the ME, I mean do you think that he could do business with them?

Under Secretary Burns: As I said, I hope very much that everyone in the region, Israelis, Palestinians, Arab states, the United Sates and the international community as well, are going to step up to this challenge because all of us are going to have to take difficult steps if we are going to make progress. Thank you.