President Bush and Jordan's King Abdullah have reaffirmed their commitment to reviving the Middle East peace process. During talks at the White House, they looked at ways to move the process forward.
King Abdullah says there are a lot of difficulties blocking progress. But he says they will not give up.
"We believe there will be, I hope, some small steps to move the process forward," the king said.
President Bush made clear he still believes the international framework known as the road map is the best path to peace. He was asked about an alternative, unofficial Israeli-Palestinian peace plan put forward earlier this week in Geneva. Senior administration officials will meet with the authors of the plan Friday, despite objections from Israel.
"We appreciate people discussing peace," said president Bush. "We just want to make sure people understand that the principals to peace are clear."
The king is in the United States on a private visit. The meeting at the White House was a late addition to his schedule.