U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Daily Press Briefing
Tuesday, May 16, 2000

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QUESTION: On a new subject. Can you update us on Dennis Ross and his efforts?

MR. BOUCHER: Dennis is in the region. He is in Israel. He's been having meetings. He met with Chairman Arafat already and he is meeting with Prime Minister Barak today. Discussions will also be taking place between the parties. I want to make clear it is our view that negotiations are
serious and that both sides are making a real effort to reach agreement. They have also found that the situation has calmed, and both sides are working to calm the environment as well. So we're out there working the process.

QUESTION: Can you say anything about in terms of what happened in the meeting with Arafat and also in terms of, given how violent the past few days have been, what that portends for peace?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, it reminds us of the importance of peace. I mean, I guess that's sort of a non sequitur, but the fact is that what they're working on it to try to get an agreement that will end the conflict. And that's the point. So they continue to do that and we'll work with both parties, who are making a serious effort.

QUESTION: Can you say if he arrived there after attending these not-anymore-so-secret meetings in Stockholm? Did he sit in on those meetings, or what role did he play with --

MR. BOUCHER: I can say he's in Israel.

QUESTION: Yeah, but did he arrive there --

QUESTION: Has he been to Stockholm recently?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to do his travel any more than I do Jesse Jackson's.

QUESTION: Well, but that's already being reported that he came from Stockholm.

MR. BOUCHER: There's a lot of things being reported.

QUESTION: So is it accurate?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to comment on travel.

QUESTION: On the subject of Palestine --

MR. BOUCHER: Let's go to the back.

QUESTION: About the yesterday question in Iranian --

MR. BOUCHER: I guess we have to finish with the Middle East first, okay?

QUESTION: Yes, on the subject of Palestine, does there appear to the State Department to be a correlation between the times that the negotiations are - the going gets tough in the negotiations and there's quite a bit of tension there, and the times that these riots break out in the West Bank?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I'd make that correlation. There may be some that some experts would study. But I think the point is to try to reach a peace agreement, and we pursue that end whether there's violence in the air or not. Any more Middle East?

QUESTION: Was this kind of violence what you were fearing when you put out that travel warning or were you more concerned about real terrorist --

MR. BOUCHER: The travel warning was put out on May 11th, one day before the previous travel warning expired on May 12th, so it was basically a renewal. But it was a recognition that there is a threat in the region and travelers need to be careful and that that threat continues.
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