Rice praises Abbas for "structural changes"

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday praised Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas for what he has done since he became Palestinian top leader in January.

"He has done some very good things, I think there is no doubt that this is a different Palestinian leadership than we've had in the past. He is a committed person," Rice said in an interview with local mass media.

Noting Abbas has "made a lot of good structural changes" , Rice said that the Palestinian security forces needed further reform.

"More can always be done and I do think that we will want to talk about what more can be done," Rice said. "But let's not underestimate the fact that he's done a great deal."

On the Middle Ease peace "roadmap" drafted by the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia, Rice said that "the commitment of this (Palestinian) leadership to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a very good start."

Rice also reiterated American commitment to creating a " contiguous" Palestinian state, saying that Bush was already committed to a Palestinian state "that would have contiguous territory.

"He (Bush)'s said that this can't be a state of scattered territories, that would not be viable. He has said that Israel needs to end its settlement expansion because that is not in accordance with Israel's obligations," Rice said.

Abbas, who is to meet with President George W. Bush at the White House on Thursday, has said he was hoping his first official visit since his election would produce a "clear" US commitment to a Palestinian state.

Source: Xinhua