Israeli and Palestinian leaders will formally launch their peace negotiations at a ceremony held at the White House on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders will formally launch their peace negotiations at a ceremony held at the White House on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday.

Rice, speaking to reporters at the end of the Annapolis conference, said that President George W. Bush has invited Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to the White House on Wednesday to "inaugurate" the negotiations.

"The Annapolis conference, which President Bush called and convened, has been the first Middle East event of its kind ever held on U.S. soil," Rice said.

"The focus here has been on the obligations not only of the parties but of the international community to achieve our shared goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security," she said.

"Meeting those responsibilities is now the urgent world that must proceed immediately after Annapolis." said the U.S. chief diplomat.

"President Bush has invited them both to the White House tomorrow to inaugurate those negotiations and the two sides have agreed that they will return to the region and meet on Dec. 12 to continue the process," she said.

In a deal reached shortly before the beginning of the Annapolison Tuesday, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators agreed to rekindle their peace talks to seek a final solution to their six-decade conflict.

"We express our determination to bring an end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between our peoples, to usher in a new era of peace based on freedom, security, justice, dignity, respect and mutual recognition, to propagate a culture of peace and non-violence, and to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or Israelis," a framework document agreed by the two sides said.

"In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, we agree to immediately launch good-faith bilateral (negotiations) in order to conclude a peace treaty resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception, as specified in previous agreements," it said.

"We agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008," the document said.

Initiated by Bush, representatives of more than 40 countries, regions and international organizations convened at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis Tuesday for the discussion on the Middle East peace process.

It was the first major international conference on the Middle East sponsored by the Bush administration in seven years.