WASHINGTON
– In advance of the Middle East Conference in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday,
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, D-MD
, today issued the following statement: 

“After a lengthy drought of talks and a confused “road map,” I am pleased to see Israeli and Palestinian leaders, along with their neighbors, gather together in support of peaceful negotiations. I am optimistic that Annapolis, Maryland, will be remembered by the participants as the site where the seeds of a renewed Middle East peace took root.

I applaud the decision of Saudi Arabia and Syria to join the conference. The broad, high-level attendance of so many countries demonstrates the credibility of the United States to broker discussions that will eventually lead to a lasting peace.”  

Senator Cardin is a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relation Committee and co-chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the U.S. Helsinki Commission).