President Hosni Mubarak: "After consultations with my brother King Abdullah of Jordan, I will deliver an address on behalf of his majesty and myself... "This is the first time in nearly four years that the Palestinian and Israeli leaders meet, and engage in intense, honest and serious negotiations with an open mind and in good faith. Hence, their meeting today should in itself be considered a long awaited, very important step. "We gathered today to end this cycle [of bloodshed] and put the peace process back on its proper track... The Palestinian and Israeli people equally deserve to live the lives they dream of; a stable, secure life. The road to this goal is... based on the implementation of international resolutions and the principles we all agreed to in Madrid, first and foremost the land for peace formula. "We hope that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and some areas in the West Bank is carried out through complete coordination between the Israelis and Palestinians... in order for it to be a good beginning for relaunching political negotiations on the permanent issues, and finally culminating in... two independent states, Palestine and Israel, and achieving security and stability for the two people. "Success will depend on speedy and serious steps taken under a political umbrella, to prove that these measures are not temporary or occurring in a vacuum... Here, I emphasise the role of the international community, especially the Quartet [made up of] the US, Russia, the EU and UN, in protecting the process that has begun today and providing all the necessary political, economic and other assistance. "Egypt will always be present and active in supporting the process... and our goal does not stop at achieving peace on the Palestinian track, but rather a permanent peace in the whole of the Middle East. This will not be accomplished until the peace is comprehensive... [including] on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks." President Mahmoud Abbas: "[Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon] and I have agreed to halt all acts of violence against the Israelis and Palestinians. The calm which our territories will witness starting today is the beginning of a new era. It's the beginning of peace and hope. "We all understand our joint responsibility to capitalise on this opportunity by reviving the spirit of partnership in peace, halting unilateral steps... and creating the mechanisms to ensure implementation. We differ on many issues, including settlements, the release of prisoners, the wall and the closing of institutions in Jerusalem. These are issues which we could not resolve completely today, but our positions remain clear and steadfast. "[Our dialogue today] will lead us to other commitments in the roadmap, including the relaunching of final status negotiations... namely on the issues of Jerusalem, refugees, borders, settlements and others. "Less than a month ago, the Palestinian people went to the polls... in a show of their commitment to a just peace which will end decades of wars, violence and occupation. A peace which will result in the creation of an independent, democratic State of Palestine, alongside the State of Israel. "In the name of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority, I reiterate our commitment to the principles of the peace process, international resolutions, signed agreements between the PLO and Israel, as well as the roadmap. "We hope that our brethren in Egypt and Jordan will continue their efforts, and that the Quartet will also work to ensure speedy progress on the Palestinian-Israeli track, as well as revive the peace process on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks. "It is time for the Palestinian people to regain their freedom and independence, and bring an end to decades of suffering and pain... We look forward to this day as soon as possible, in order for the language of dialogue to replace the language of bullets. "A new opportunity for peace is born today. Let us all commit to protect it until it becomes a real peace." Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: "We have an opportunity to start on a new path. For the first time in a long time, there exists in our region hope for a better future for our children and grandchildren. This is a very fragile opportunity that the extremists will want to exploit... We must all make a commitment not to agree to a temporary solution... [but] to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, to disarm and subdue it once and for all. "Today, in my meeting with Chairman Abbas, we agreed that all Palestinians will stop all acts of violence against all Israelis everywhere, and Israel will cease all its military activity against all Palestinians anywhere... Furthermore, we agreed on a process of transferring security responsibility for Palestinian areas... Soon we will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and also establish a joint committee to explore future releases of prisoners. "I am determined to carry out the disengagement plan I initiated... [which] can pave the way to implementation of the roadmap to which we are committed and which we want to implement. We are prepared to fulfil all our obligations actively and expect the other side to carry out all its obligations. "To our Palestinian neighbours, I assure you that we have a genuine intention to respect your right to live independently and in dignity. I have already said that Israel has no desire to continue to govern over you and control your fate... You too must prove that you have the strength and the courage to compromise, abandon unrealistic dreams, subdue the forces that oppose peace and live in peace and mutual respect side by side with us. "To the citizens of Israel, I say... We are required to take difficult and controversial steps, but we must not miss the opportunity to try to achieve what we have wished for, for so many years: security, tranquillity and peace."
