CAIRO, Egypt, October 16, SPA -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sought support from Egypt on Tuesday in her quest to nudge Israelis and Palestinians closer together before aMideast peace conference tentatively set for late November. Rice arrived in Cairo and was scheduled to speak withEgyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who has played a key rolein mediating large and small conflicts between Israel andthe Palestinians and among squabbling Palestiniansfactions. After talks in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday,Rice said Israel and the Palestinians must agree on how andwhen to start formal peace talks. In one of her strongest statements yet on the issue, Ricedeclared that creation of a Palestinian state is a key U.S. interest and urged the two sides to drop contentiousdemands and reach consensus on a substantive jointstatement ahead of the international conference. «Frankly, it's time for the establishment of aPalestinian state,» Rice told a news conference withPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who she sawon Tuesday, the second of an intense four-day Middle Eastshuttle diplomacy mission. «The United States sees the establishment of aPalestinian state and a two-state solution as absolutelyessential for the future, not just of Palestinians andIsraelis but also for the Middle East and indeed toAmerican interests,» she said. «That's really a message that I think only I candeliver,» Rice said, explaining her mission to prepare forthe conference to be held in Annapolis, Md., as early aslate November. Rice will see both sides again on Wednesday after visitingEgypt. Then she will travel to London to meet Jordan's KingAbdullah II in a bid to build support for the meeting amongskeptical Arab nations. In her talks in Jerusalem and the West Bank, she isseeking to bridge wide gaps between Israel and thePalestinians over the declaration to be endorsed inAnnapolis that President Bush hopes will lead tonegotiations for a final settlement of long-runningconflict.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/490709