Communicated by the Defense Minister's Media Coordinator October 7, 1997 DM Mordechai meets US envoy Dennis Ross Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai met this morning (Tuesday) 7.10.97, with US envoy Dennis Ross for approximately one hour in order to discuss ways of advancing the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The Defense Minister told envoy Ross that while the Palestinian Authority has recently begun to fight terrorism, Israel expects to see a process of continuous and sustained effort and not lone steps. Defense Minister Mordechai said that the Israeli government and the security services are sincere in their willingness to work with the Palestinians on all issues on the agenda and in the work of the joint committees, but emphasized that in the work of the committees, and regarding other issues, we would vigorously maintain our vital security demands. Envoy Ross and Defense Minister Mordechai expressed their hope that the important relations between Israel and Jordan would not be harmed as a result of the recent incident and agreed that the peace and bilateral relations between the two countries must be fostered and strengthened. Ross's aide Aaron Miller, the acting US Ambassador, and Defense Minister Mordechai's Military Secretary, Brig.-Gen. Ya'akov Amidror, also participated in the meeting.