Hillary talks 'time of opportunity' with Peres

US secretary of state discusses Egypt and Iran with Israeli president

 Israel and the United States must think and act together to face the changes sweeping the Middle East, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday after meeting President Shimon Peres.

Hillary, who arrived late Sunday after two days of talks with the new leadership in Egypt, hailed a “moment of great change and transformation in the region.”

“It is a time of uncertainty but also of opportunity. It is a chance to advance our shared goals of security, stability, peace and democracy,” she said after talks with Peres focussing on Egypt, Syria, Iran’s nuclear programme and peace efforts with the Palestinians.
“It is in moments like these that friends like us have to think together, act together,” she said.

On the last leg of a 13-day, nine-nation tour, Hillary held early talks with her Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman before meeting Peres, briefing both on her discussions with Egypt’s newly-elected President Mohamed Morsi and military leader Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

During their talks, Hillary updated Peres “on the latest developments and the approaches of the new Egyptian leadership, and stressed the importance of strengthening the relations between Israel and Egypt and maintaining the peace between the countries,” the president’s office said.

“We appreciate very much that immediately after Egypt, you came to us with your latest impressions because for us, as well as for the United States, Egypt is a key country in the Middle East and much depends on Egypt and a little bit on us as well, to continue the great march of peace,” Peres said in remarks to the press.