Highlighting his belief in the two-state solution, US President Barack Obama on Thursday said he was confident of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

"I am confident that we can move this process forward, if all the parties are willing to take on the responsibilities and meet the obligations that they've already committed to," said the president, following a summit with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in the White House.

Specifying the obligation, Obama urged Israel to stop Jewish settlements activities in the West Bank and make sure that "there is a viable Palestinian state." He also urged the Palestinians make more progress in improving their security forces and reducing anti-Israel violence and incitement.

The Obama-Abbas meeting came ten days after Israel's hard-line Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House, where he was persuaded by President Obama to accept the two-state solution and to freeze all the Jewish settlements activities in the West Bank.

Netanyahu and his government, however, has yet to endorse the solution, which envisions two states, Israel and an independent Palestinian state, live side by side in peace and security. The hardliners also dismissed Washington's call to stop the settlements expansion in the Palestinian occupied territories.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the administration will present very specific proposals on how to advance the two-state solution and to normalize relations between Arab states and Israel.

"Not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions. That's our position. That's what we have communicated very clearly not only to the Israelis but to the Palestinians and others, and we intend to press that point," the top US diplomat said, referring to Israel's settlement activities.

Reports here said about 490,000 Israelis live in East Jerusalem and the Wet Bank.

President Abbas has said he will not resume peace talks with the Israeli government until it stops settlement activities and accept the two-state solution.

Abbas, in his first visit to the White House since Obama took office in January, told the US president that the Palestinians commit to implement the obligations for peace and that Arab nations are willing to normalize relations should Israel withdraws from all occupied territories.

"I am a strong believer in the two-state solution. .. We can't continue the drift. We need to get this thing back on track," said Obama, adding that Israel will realize the two-state solution is in its interests if it looks at its long-term interests.

The president said he would present the administration's proposals for the Middle East peace process in his policy speech to the Muslim world, which will be made in Cairo on June 4.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2009)