President Hosni Mubarak - Speech at the Oslo 2 Accord Signing Ceremony (transcript audio video)

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio]

White House Announcer: His Excellency, Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

President Mubarak: President Clinton, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen:

Today, we witness another significant step on the road to peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. The signing of this elaborate agreement testifies to the strength of the new spirit which has emerged in our region since we started the peace process years ago.

It reflects the firm commitment of both Arabs and Israelis to a noble cause that was considered, until recently, a distant dream. They made a historic choice between the continuation of the unhappy past and the opening of a new horizon for their peoples.

This dream could not have come true without the courage and the farsightedness of a group of determined men who worked together under the most difficult circumstances in order to translate their vision into a living reality. We commend these courageous leaders and congratulate the Palestinian and Israeli peoples on this historic achievement. We also thank those friendly nations which have stood firmly in support of the peace efforts -- notably, the American people and their energetic leadership who put their full weight behind the peace process.

Dear friends, while we celebrate this historic event, we are determined that the challenge is not over yet. In the months ahead, we have to work hand-in-hand to facilitate the faithful implementation of the new agreement. This process will require greater understanding and cooperation. Equally needed is the material and the moral support of different nations in all four corners of the world.

We are also reminded that our mission of building peace will not be fulfilled until similar progress is made on the Syrian and the Lebanese tracks. All of us should reaffirm our fundamental goal of achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace. Those who hold the key to progress on those tracks are urged to exert maximum effort in the months ahead in order to make this possible.

On the other hand, we should not lose sight of the fact that what has been accomplished on the Palestinian front does not constitute a final settlement. It is still, nevertheless, an important step that is definitely going to make that goal easier to reach.

Finally, it is our duty to prove to all the peoples of the Middle East that the past is behind us at long last and that a brighter future is dawning throughout the area -- a future that brings to realization not only the promise of peace and security but also greater prospects for balanced development and prosperity. This should be the cornerstone of the vision we have for the new era. Together, God willing, we shall succeed in our drive to write that bright chapter in the history of the Middle East.

Thank you.