"Prime Minister Blair and I are determined to move toward our vision of broader peace in that region," Bush told a press conference at Hillsborough Castle, south of Belfast, where the two leaders were discussing the Iraq war.

"We're committed to implementing the roadmap toward peace, to bring closer the day when two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and stability," he said.

"Peace in the Middle East will require overcoming deep divisions of history and religion," he said.

"Yet we know this is possible. It is happening in Northern Ireland" where the Good Friday peace accords signed five years ago this week have calmed years of sectarian strife.

"Our governments are working to help bring about a settlement in the Middle East that protects the rights of Israelis and Palestinians, that promotes the peace, that promotes security, that promotes human dignity," Bush said.

The Middle East diplomatic quartet -- the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States -- have said they will publish a "roadmap" leading to a Palestinian state in 2005 once a new Palestinian government is sworn in under Mahmud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen.

"I'm pleased with the new leader of the Palestinian authority. I look forward to him finally putting his cabinet in place so we can release the roadmap," Bush said.

Mazen, deputy leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), was deisgnated as the first Palestinian prime minister by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on March 19.

"To those who can sometimes say that process in the Middle East is hopeless, I say we can look at Northern Ireland and take some hope from that," Blair said.

"I want to thank the president also for the impetus he has given to the two-state solution in the Middle East. A secure Israel and a viable palestinian state," he said.

Israel has threatened to tear up the roadmap unless changes are made on such issues as the dismantlement and disarmament of terrorist groups and the creation of new Palestinian security services.

"Being here in Northern Ireland makes me even more firm in my belief that peace is possible," Bush said.

"I've talked at length with the prime minister about how hard he had to work to bring the process this far. I'm willing to spend the same amount of energy in the Middle East," he said

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