US President George W. Bush is determined to do his utmost to help establish an independent Palestinian state, Burns was quoted as saying after meeting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.

He made the remarks one day after the Palestinians buried their leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Burns attended Arafat's funeral in Cairo on Friday representing the United States.

Burns said the United States will help the Palestinians hold their elections, with the backing of other countries in the Mideast region and the international community.

Under the Palestinian basic law, elections would be held within 60 days to choose a new leader to formally succeed late Arafat.

Burns also promised to persuade the Israelis to allow the Palestinian elections to go on smoothly and to encourage Israel to implement their planned withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

Bush, who was just re-elected for a second term, appears willing to get more actively involved in the Mideast peace process in his next four years in office.

"The vision is two states, a Palestinian state and Israel living side by side in peace. I think we've got a chance to do that. I look forward to being involved in that process," he told reporters Wednesday in Washington.