The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak, and the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, agreed yesterday to work closely together on the details of peace in the Middle East. After meeting Mr Barak in her Georgetown home, Ms Albright announced that she will be travelling to the Middle East next month.
Ms Albright emphasised that the US was going to take an active role in the peace process and that she was going to work closely with Mr Barak on all peace tracks.
"I stress that what is important is that the prime minister is prepared to work broadly on all the tracks involved and the US is going to take an active role."
She also reiterated the US commitment to the security of Israel and to the special relationship between the US and Israel.
A senior state department official said the hour-long meeting, the first between Ms Albright and Mr Barak since the Israeli prime minister took office on July 6th, marked a new era in Israeli-US relations.
"Clearly there is a new era of good feeling here, there is a real sense of confidence and trust between the prime minister and the administration," the official said. "The secretary came out with the sense that despite all the good feeling and trust and confidence she expects to have with the prime minister, there is no substitute for the hard compromises that have to be made."
On Thursday, after meeting President Clinton at the White House, Mr Barak said he was "prepared for tough and painful compromise".
After meeting Ms Albright, Mr Barak reiterated his commitment to abide by international agreements and to move forward on all peace tracks. "I reaffirmed to the secretary our commitment to abide by international agreements signed by our government, including Wye, and our determination to move forward on all tracks."
Mr Barak also welcomed the US involvement in shaping strategy and helping out on the details of the peace agreements he hopes to conclude with the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese.
Ms Albright played down Mr Barak's request that was reported to have angered US officials that the US let the players in the region dictate the terms of the peace negotiations.
"What I will do is what I am asked to do, the Middle East talks are important to President Clinton, to me and the people of Israel and it is important that we take the time that is necessary and calibrate our role according to what is really called for," Ms Albright said.
Mr Barak also met the US Defence Secretary, Mr William Cohen, for talks on security aspects of the proposed peace plans before flying to New York to meet Jewish leaders. The Israeli prime minister will hold a second round of talks with Mr Clinton and his aides on Monday.
Mr Barak insisted yesterday he would only pull Israeli troops out of south Lebanon as part of a wider peace deal with Syria, strongly denying Israeli press reports that he was prepared to withdraw unilaterally.
He rejected a report in the Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot that he was ready to order Israeli troops out unilaterally if a deal with Syria could not be achieved.
Israel has informed the US that it will purchase 50 advanced F-16 fighter aircraft, senior Israeli officials said in New York yesterday.