Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush affirmed the U.S. commitment to an independent Palestinian state as a senior administration official scaled back expectations for a U.S.-organized Middle East peace meeting in November.

Bush, in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly tomorrow, met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas today in New York for 90 minutes, including a 30- minute one-on-one session. They discussed issues related to the planned international gathering and Palestinian security changes.

``I strongly support the creation of a Palestinian state,'' Bush said after the meeting. ``We will work as hard as we possibly can to achieve the vision.''

Abbas said he was ``hopeful'' that progress can be made.

``We truly believe very strongly in the peace process, and we believe very strongly in your vision of establishing a Palestinian, independent, viable state that lives side by side with the state of Israel,'' he told Bush.

A senior administration official, briefing reporters after the Bush-Abbas tete-a-tete, said the November meeting would be only the start of a series of discussions on a two-state solution. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas are going to establish the terms for the meeting and there will be no negotiations at the November meeting itself, the senior official said.

This outlook contrasts with the Camp David summit brokered between Israelis and Palestinians by President Bill Clinton in 2000. There, for two weeks, Clinton personally shuttled between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, trying to bridge gaps on the difficult disputes over territories and Palestinian refugees, before the summit collapsed.

Bush, on July 16, called for the gathering, saying this is a ``moment of choice'' for the Palestinians to pursue peace. His administration is pressing Arab allies including Saudi Arabia to attend. No dates or location have been set yet, underscoring the difficulty of organizing the session.

The president also is meeting with representatives of the UN, the European Union and Russia, which along with the U.S. make up the so-called Quartet on Middle East peace.

Bush has been seeking to build greater support for Abbas after parliamentary elections brought Hamas, which the U.S. regards as a terrorist organization, to power in the Palestinian territories. Earlier this year, the struggle between Abbas's Fatah faction and Hamas resulted in a violent split that left the Palestinians divided politically and geographically. Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip on June 15, leading Abbas to declare an emergency government.

``I appreciate the fact that you're fighting the extremists who don't share the same kind of view,'' Bush told Abbas.

To contact the reporter on this story: Hans Nichols in Washington at Hnichols2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 24, 2007 19:30 EDT