U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #53, 97-04-11
From: The Department of State Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) at <http://www.state.gov>
1203
U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
I N D E X
Friday, April 11, 1997
Briefer: Nicholas Burns
ANNOUNCEMENTS/STATEMENTS
1 Welcome to Visitors/Sid Balman's New Baby/Abdul Salam's Health
1-2 Angola: Secretary's Statement on National Unity
2 South Africa: Readout of Secretary's Mtg with Dep Pres Mbeki
2 Lithuania: Readout of Secretary's Mtg with Parliament Chairman
Landsbergis
2-3 Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia: Asst Secy Kornblum, Special Envoy Gelbard
Trip/
3 Statement on Papal Visit to Sarajevo
3 Human Rights: Statement on US Contribution to ICRC
3-4 Secretary: Telephone Calls/Schedule for Today, Monday
4 Central African Republic: Statement on Reconciliation
4-5 Vietnam: Pete Peterson Confirmed as US Ambassador/Departure Date
5-6 Bureau of Public Affairs: Departure of David Leavy for NSC
RUSSIA/NATO
7 Signing of Charter/Secretary's Mtg with Secy Gen Solana/
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
Deputy Secretary's Mtgs with Allied Political Directors
7-9 US Mtgs with Palestinian Delegation/ US Consultations/Palestinian
Assurances on Terrorism/Bargaining Power
Obligations of Both Parties?US Objectives in Reviving Talks/
International Involvement/Travel to Region by US Officials
CUBA
10-11 US/EU Compromise at WTO on Helms-Burton/WTO Role/Pending Agreement
16 Arrival of Cubans by Boat
12-13 EU Sanctions Against Iran/Temporary or Permanent
IRAN/GERMANY
Actions/Mtg with Chancellor
CHINA/IRAN
13 Help to Iran for Nuclear & Biological Weapons Stockpile
KYRGYZSTAN
13-14 Diplomat Involved in Accident in Washington, DC
RUSSIA
14-15 Discussions re Diplomatic Waiver for Suspected DUI
PARKING TICKETS
15-16 Program to Deal with Parking Infractions//UN Complaints re
Program/Foreign Diplomats Obliged to Obey US Laws/Taking Dispute to
International Court of Justice
BELARUS
16-17 Future Relationship/Ambassadors
LATVIA
17 Businessman Invited to DNC Fund-Raising Event
COLOMBIA
18 Passage of Extradition Law
ZAIRE
18-19 Rpt on Departure of Foreigners/Situation Update/US Travel Warning
Issued March 20/Political Situation/Renewal of Peace Talks in
Pretoria/US Contacts With Rebel Leader Kabila
JAPAN
19-20 Maritime Negotiations Continue
GREECE/TURKEY
20 Secret Talks
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB #53
FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1997, 12:44 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. BURNS: Welcome to the State Department. In all seriousness, Mr.
Lambros, nice to see you here.
I want to welcome l0 distinguished guests - journalists from the Russian
Federation - who are here today through the Meridian International Center.
Welcome to you. Thanks for coming.
I think first things first. Sid Balman's not here because a very important
thing happened in his life. He and his wife are very happy to receive a
daughter, Mia Isabella, into their family this week; and we all want to
congratulate Sid. Terrific news for him.
QUESTION: While we are talking about personal matters, someone saw Abdul
Salam yesterday. He's up and around. His radiation treatment is finished.
He looks good, but his speech is somewhat halted. But he is hanging in
there and he's up and around.
MR. BURNS: Barry and I have both seen him in the last week and we really
wished him the very best. He's undergoing tough times, but he's a great
individual.
Thank you very much, Jim, for mentioning that. Thank you very much.
I have a couple of things to do, if you'll bear with me. We have a variety
of things we've got to announce today and announcements to post. I'll try
to run through them quickly. And then we have to say a few words about
young Mr. Leavy on his last day in office.
The first is to refer you to a statement by Secretary Albright. This is a
personal statement that she is issuing today on Angola on the inauguration
of the National Unity Government in Angola. I'm posting it for you. I want
to read a bit of it.
The inauguration of the Government of Unity and National Reconciliation in
Angola today, April 11th, is a milestone in ending over 30 years of
conflict and bloodshed in Angola. It fulfills an agreement made by the
Government of Angola and the National Union for the Total Independence of
Angola, UNITA, when they signed the Lusaka Protocols in November l994; and
that's when UNITA renounced warfare in return for a share in the national
government. By this political solution, the leaders of Angola put decades
of fighting behind them and gave the people of Angola the opportunity to
live in peace and prosperity.
The UNITA Government is the fruit of a long and arduous process. I was
personally involved during my time in New York - this is now the Secretary
of State speaking. I traveled to Angola in January of last year to
encourage both sides to take steps to fulfill their obligations. I've since
maintained contact with leaders of both sides and have gained great
appreciation for the hard work of the parties and of the representatives of
the international community. I'd like to single out in particular the hard
work of Assistant Secretary George Moose; Special Envoy Paul Hare; Donald
Steinberg, our Ambassador in Luanda, well known to all of you in the Press
Corps; and the U.N. Secretary General's Special Representative, Mr. Bye;
and the efforts of our partners as observers to the Lusaka Protocol: Russia
and Portugal.
I do not wish to gloss over the remaining tasks in Angola. Reconciliation
takes time and effort. Both parties need to break down the barriers that
still divide the country and to peacefully extend the administration of the
UNITA Government throughout Angola itself. Scores of thousands of soldiers
need to be demobilized, and productive work must be found for them. The
economy is in desperate need of restructuring. But the United States
remains committed to helping Angolans make the transition to a democratic
government that represents all Angolans. I congratulate them on this very
important day. I'd like to refer this statement to you because it is a
personal statement by the Secretary of State, and it is quite a bit longer
than what I read.
Secretary Albright received the South African Deputy President, Thabo
Mbeki, last evening here at the State Department. Deputy President Mbeki
had just come from the South African-sponsored Zaire peace talks outside of
Pretoria, and the Deputy President briefed the Secretary on the status of
those talks. The Secretary expressed the appreciation of the United States
for the leadership of the South African Government on the Zaire crisis,
particularly that of Mr. Mbeki. She also commended the work of Mr. Sahnoun,
the U.N. negotiator. And, of course, they discussed the strengthening of
our economic ties with South Africa and emphasized our wish for further
trade and investment and a furtherance of our political relationship as
well.
As you know, the Secretary, the day before that - but we didn't talk about
this yesterday - met with Mr. Landsbergis, Vytastas Landsbergis of
Lithuania; and that was an excellent meeting where they reviewed European
security issues and our bilateral relationship.
I'll be glad to go into either of these meetings, should you wish.
Today in Belgrade, John Kornblum, our Assistant Secretary, and Bob Gelbard,
our new Special Representative on Bosnia, are visiting the Serbian
leadership. As I talked to the party about an hour ago, they were in with
President Slobodan Milosevic. They had lunch with him; they were in a
smaller meeting with him. And they were raising with him our very deep
concern that the Serbian Government fulfill its obligations on press
freedoms and on electoral freedoms and in allowing Zajedno and the other
opposition figures to be full participants in the political life of the
country - also reminding Mr. Milosevic of his obligations to fulfill the
Dayton Accords.
They will be seeing Vuk Draskovic, one of the Zajedno leaders, whom
Secretary Albright saw last week. They'll be seeing him today in Belgrade.
Then they go on to Pristina and Kosovo, where they'll meet Dr. Rugova, and
also a Serbian Administrator for Kosovo; and they obviously represent U.S.
policy, which has great concern about the welfare of the Albanian
population - the Kosovars.
They go tomorrow to Macedonia, to Skopje, where they're going to be
visiting President Gligorov and other members of that government; and
that's a very important trip before they go on then to Croatia and Bosnia.
Speaking of Bosnia, the United States welcomes the visit of His Holiness
Pope John Paul II to Sarajevo over the weekend as an important opportunity
to advance the process of reconciliation and recovery throughout Bosnia.
Secretary Albright has written to her counterpart at the Vatican, Foreign
Minister Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, to offer the support of the United
States for a successful visit.
The United States would like to call on the three communities in Bosnia to
receive the Pope's message of peace and tolerance in a spirit of goodwill
and cooperation.
I'd also like to let you know that the United States today is pleased to
announce that it will contribute $8l million to the International Committee
of the Red Cross in response to the ICRC's Emergency Appeal for l997.
This announcement was conveyed to the President of the Red Cross, Cornelio
Sommaruga, by our Assistant Secretary of State Phyllis Oakley; and that
message was conveyed here at the Department this morning. President
Sommaruga is in Washington for two days of meetings with our Government.
The funds that we are transferring to the ICRC will be used for the ICRC's
humanitarian assistance programs around the world, including in Africa. The
United States is the single largest contributor to the International
Committee of the Red Cross.
We have the highest regard for the work - the often dangerous work - of the
ICRC. It's the only organization in many parts of the world that's allowed
to go beyond the barbed wire, to move freely within occupied territories,
to cross lines, to gain access to prisons and to camps; and they've been in
very tough places over the last couple of years: Bosnia and Rwanda, and
Chechnya, Eastern Zaire and Liberia. They do magnificent work.
Nine of the ICRC staff were killed and others taken hostage during the past
year. The United States, through this contribution, wants to express its
strong support for the continued work of the International Committee of the
Red Cross.
Looking ahead to next week - I guess I should tell you I'll start with
today - the Secretary this morning was on the phone, made a phone call, to
Abu Mazen, the Palestinian Delegation leader, who's here in Washington. She
also spoke, of course, to Dennis Ross, about those talks which continue
today; and I'll go into that in just a minute. This afternoon she plans to
see the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Georgiy Mamedov, who is visiting
as a guest of our Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott.
So the Secretary is concentrating today on the Middle East and on Russia,
and a variety of other issues.
`Looking ahead to Monday, the Secretary will be welcoming her colleague,
the Czech Foreign Minister - Josef Zieleniec - on Monday afternoon. They
expect to cover a range of issues, including NATO enlargement, European
security, the Balkans, other regional issues.
The Czechs have made a significant contribution to our effort in Bosnia, as
you know, and of course they are a very active member of the Partnership
for Peace.
Later on Monday afternoon, I think around 4:00 o'clock, the Secretary will
meet with Martin Lee, the head of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong, to
discuss issues related to progress towards Hong Kong's reversion, including
protection of civil liberties and fundamental freedoms of the rule of law,
which are very important and have been in the news of late. So I want to
commend those two meetings to you.
Finally, I just wanted to note that we are issuing a statement today on the
Central African Republic welcoming the progress made in recent days on
reconciliation in the Central African Republic. I want to refer this to
you.
Just two more things. We're almost done. Something very positive happened
here in Washington yesterday. The United States Senate confirmed Pete
Peterson as the first American Ambassador to Vietnam - to Hanoi. His
confirmation is an important step forward in our relations with Vietnam.
Having an Ambassador there will enable us to work on our agenda with
Vietnam which is the normalization of our trade relationship which, first
and foremost, is recovery of the men who are missing in action - the
American men missing in action, the remains of those men - from the Vietnam
war; and to try in all respects to build over the next several years a
fully normal and productive relationship with Vietnam.
Mr. Peterson hopes to depart as quickly as possible after his swearing-in
and some last minute consultations.
QUESTION: Is (inaudible) swearing him in?
MR. BURNS: Excuse me?
QUESTION: Do you know the date?
MR. BURNS: I don't know the date but I'll be glad to give it to you. I
think it's going to be a great affair.
He is truly one of the most remarkable Americans of his generation. He was
an American combat veteran of the war and spent over five and a half years
in a North Vietnamese prison camp, POW camp. He's a good example of why we
need, in our ambassadorial corps overseas, some non-professionals, some
people who aren't career Foreign Service officers; people who are
outstanding Americans and who enrich our diplomatic corps by their presence
in it. All of us congratulate him today.
Now, the last order of business. Mr. David Leavy is leaving us today. It's
his final day in the office.
QUESTION: Where is he going?
MR. BURNS: He has been appointed by Sandy Berger, our National Security
Advisor, as Director of Communications for the National Security Council. I
just want to say a few words about Dave.
I think Dave has been our indispensable man in the Bureau of Public Affairs
over the last two years. He is the guy who has conceived and executed
nearly all of our press initiatives, our major press initiatives over the
last two years. He planned Secretary Christopher's trip to Vietnam, the
historic trip in August 1995 - the flag-raising at our Embassy in Hanoi.
The first time the American flag had gone up in Hanoi since the end of the
Second World War.
Dave also planned how we would host all of you out in Dayton, Ohio, at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for a month in November 1995. He was the
principal person who planned and executed many of the initiatives
associated with Secretary Albright's unforgettable around-the-world trip
just six weeks ago.
He's made an enormous contribution to two Secretaries of State. Now he goes
on to assume very important and weighty responsibilities at the White
House. I'm just a little bit concerned about a couple of aspects of his
makeup as he takes on those responsibilities. The first is his judgment.
That's not a minor affair, Dave.
You may not know this but behind the scenes, without the view of the
American press corps over the past couple of years, Dave pushed, in vain
ultimately, a major policy initiative on Secretary Christopher. As you
know, the Secretary was a peripatetic Secretary of State, the most traveled
in history. He went to six continents. Dave wanted him to go to a seventh,
Antarctica. When asked for a strategic rationale, Dave was quoted as
saying, "Hey, it would be great media hit." That almost won the day but not
quite.
Secondly, I'm just a little bit concerned about his personality makeup.
Barry, maybe you can add to this. He's a little shy. He's a little bit
reticent.
QUESTION: Poker-faced.
MR. BURNS: Poker-faced. I think he really needs to come out of his shell
and relate better to the press corps, talk to them, use his cell phone, get
a television, read the newspapers. Do you think that is on the mark?
QUESTION: I think so, Nick. Speaking possibly only for myself, we're
going to miss him. Playing Liar's Poker with him is a treat. He's no poker-
face at all.
MR. BURNS: Does he win at Liar's Poker?
QUESTION: Not often, but he's consistently good-natured. He has done
something that many of his predecessors didn't even attempt to do, to cut
down the waiting time in these awful stakeouts where you have to wait
endlessly, sometimes when you have better things to do with limited time.
Dave is has been very helpful. We're really going to miss him. It isn't
true that he's leaving at our request.
MR. BURNS: That's not true?
QUESTION: It's not true.
MR. BURNS: You want to put that on the record?
QUESTION: Yes. We didn't trade for him, and we are going to miss him. We
enjoyed working with him very much. That's the truth.
MR. BURNS: I feel the same way. We came in together the same week over
two years ago from the White House to the State Department. Dave has been
the indispensable person to me in my ability to do this job.
Dave, we're going to miss you. Best of luck. Do you want to make -
QUESTION: (Inaudible) Israeli security, by the way?
MR. BURNS: No, he's had some run-ins with various security forces around
the world, but all on behalf of the American press corps. The Egyptians as
well, as I remember.
Dave, do you want to say a few words?
MR. DAVID LEAVY: No, it's okay.
MR. BURNS: See, he's very shy and retiring.
QUESTION: Leave your phone number.
MR. BURNS: Barry.
QUESTION: The Middle East will be the natural questions, so let me ask
you about Russia. Is the NATO charter whipped pretty much into shape now? I
see the Deputy Foreign Minister --.
Can you anticipate a signing perhaps in late May in The Hague or maybe in
Paris? How is the job coming? I know that NATO goes ahead no matter what.
We know that. We know how good it is for mankind, but will the charter be
ready next month, do you suppose?
MR. BURNS: You can almost give the briefing by now.
QUESTION: I've heard the NATO shtick before.
MR. BURNS: Barry, let me say, we're working hard on the NATO question.
Secretary Albright saw Secretary General Solana yesterday morning for
breakfast. Secretary General Solana is going to have another negotiating
round next week with Foreign Minister Primakov.
Strobe Talbott, our Deputy Secretary, is meeting today; many of the
political directors of our European allies who are in town for the G-7
political director's meeting. He's conferring with them about the NATO
enlargement and the NATO-Russia document or charter business.
I think it's very important that we not let process get ahead of substance
here. The fact is that we want, as President Clinton has said over and
over, we want to negotiate a document, an arrangement with Russia that
would provide for stability between Russia and NATO. We're very hopeful
that that will happen by the Madrid summit. But Madrid is not a
deadline. Madrid is not deadline.
We want to work this out. We're hopeful that we can. If we can work it out,
then we'll think about where we sign it and how we sign it. If it can't be
worked out by Madrid, of course, as you say, the Madrid summit will go
forward and NATO enlargement will go forward.
QUESTION: I was asking about May, and you're not even sure that it will
be done by July; right?
MR. BURNS: We can't be sure that it will be done, but we hope it will be
done. We want it to be done and we'll negotiate in all seriousness to get
it done. But if it doesn't happen, obviously, NATO will proceed with its
enlargement plans and make an announcement on July 7-8-9 about the new
members that we'll be taking into NATO.
QUESTION: Will it still not be legally binding but simply an affirmation
of the good faith of the NATO leaders?
MR. BURNS: The United States does not anticipate that this document that
is to be negotiated will be a document that must be ratified in
legislatures, by the U.S. Congress, or by the parliaments of other NATO
members.
QUESTION: Can you tell us about the contacts with the Palestinian
Delegation today?
MR. BURNS: Yes. Following up the three and a half hours of meetings
yesterday, Dennis Ross had a series of meetings this morning with the
Palestinian Delegation. He's now hosting a lunch for them on the Eighth
Floor today. They've continued their substantive discussions on the state
of play of the Middle East peace negotiations.
I expect the Palestinians will be departing this afternoon. I also told you
that the Secretary of State had a phone call with Abu Mazen. They'll be
departing this afternoon.
Following that, we'll be considering our next steps, and there will be next
steps. The United States has put ideas this week before the Israeli Prime
Minister and the Palestinian Delegation. We hope that they will all reflect
very seriously upon those ideas.
Over the weekend, I'm sure we'll have further consultations with the
Israelis and Palestinians. We've been consulting with the Europeans as well
today. I think then we will be in a position perhaps by early next week to
consider what next steps ought to be taken by the United States to
reinvigorate the peace negotiations and to move them forward.
I just want to emphasize a point that I raised in my briefing last evening.
And that is, as a result of the meeting last night between Secretary
Albright and the Palestinians, she received very clear, very specific
assurances from the delegation that the Palestinians remain fundamentally
committed to thwarting terrorism.
When Saeb Erakat walked out to the "C" Street Lobby and met all of you, or
some of you, he made a very clear statement renouncing terrorism. We've
seen now reports today of the Palestinian Authority taking measures against
extremists. We saw reports yesterday of the Palestinians and Israelis
working together to identify a Hamas cell in Gaza. They worked together in
Hebron to try to stem the violence.
So we are beginning to see some re-emergence of security cooperation
between the two, and that is quite positive.
QUESTION: Can I just ask, what bargaining power do you believe the
Palestinians have as they negotiate?
MR. BURNS: I think the way we look at it is that the Palestinians and
Israelis are negotiating partners and that they ought both be sensitive to
the negotiating needs of the others.
What they both have are the agreements that they've already negotiated and
the commitments that they have made to each other. I think that's where
both of them are keeping part of their focus right now, and they ought to
keep their focus on that.
I would refer you, in this respect, to Secretary Albright's speech
yesterday afternoon to the Society of Newspaper Editors and to what she
said ought to happen now; what obligations the Palestinians clearly have
and what obligations the Israeli Government clearly has as well.
MR. BURNS: Nick, (inaudible) sounds like procedure. Whatever the U.S.
comes up with early next week, will it be a procedural matter or will the
U.S. - I mean, the Palestinians particularly say - want you weigh-in I
guess with positions, at this point, as well as muscle?
Is the U.S. at this point basically focused on trying to move things
physically along? Or is the U.S. making suggestions about the future of
Jerusalem, a Palestinian state, refugees - all those tough issues?
MR. BURNS: The peace negotiations are at an impasse. So our objective is
to revive them. To do that, we've suggested some substantive ideas that
might bridge the gap between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
In addition to substance, we're, of course, concerned by process because
process is part of any negotiations and sometimes even becomes substantive,
if you know what I mean. We're very concerned that they both meet their
obligations to the other. We're concerned that the trust that has eroded be
rebuilt. Because you can't have a successful negotiation if you don't have
trust between negotiating partners.
QUESTION: You've been in contact with Europeans on this issue?
MR. BURNS: Yes.
QUESTION: With whom, precisely?
MR. BURNS: Dutch Foreign Minister van Mierlo, I believe, is in Gaza
today. I think he's going to be meeting Chairman Arafat. I think he's also
been in contact with Israelis. He has been in contact with us to share his
views.
We're very open, as I've said consistently all week, to cooperation with
the Europeans on this issue. We want to see active international
involvement. But, of course, we do believe very strongly that the United
States has the central negotiating role to play here.
Patrick.
QUESTION: Would the next steps involve trips to the region by Dennis Ross
and/or the Secretary?
MR. BURNS: There are many options available to us. We're considering all
of them. But I can tell you, I know for a fact that no decisions have been
made as of this moment about possible travel by either the Secretary or
Dennis Ross to the region.
Still on the Middle East?
QUESTION: A new subject?
MR. BURNS: Sure.
QUESTION: Is the United States working a compromise with the European
Union over their complaint before the WTO on Helms-Burton?
MR. BURNS: You've been reading the Washington Post, I see. Members of the
United States and the European Union are continuing discussions here in
Washington in the hope of reaching an amicable resolution of our
differences on Helms-Burton. This, of course, pertains to the EU's
challenge - WTO challenge - to our Cuba sanctions policy.
Our discussions are being led by the Under Secretary of Commerce, Stu
Eizenstat. I can say that some progress has been made. However, at this
time there's still no agreement and there remain issues that divide the
United States and the European Union.
I think that the WTO dispute resolution panel begins meeting on Monday.
That's on the complaint brought to it by the European Union. So it's
certainly premature for me to discuss details of the negotiations or to
characterize our progress any further. But we are going to do this. We're
going to work with the Europeans in the spirit of cooperation in the hope
of reaching an agreement.
We have consulted with members of Congress on this issue. We will continue
to do that as we seek to bridge the gap between the United States and the
European Union.
QUESTION: The mere fact that you're negotiating a compromise, doesn't
that show that Helms-Burton has definite flaws?
MR. BURNS: Excuse me?
QUESTION: The fact that you're negotiating a compromise on Helms-Burton
with the Europeans, doesn't that show that your law has definite flaws?
MR. BURNS: Oh, no, I'm not going to speak about flaws. I'm not going to
acknowledge any flaws today in American legislation. I'm just saying that
there's been a dispute challenge by the European Union against the United
States. So we have to reply to it in some way.
As you know, we have never believed that the WTO is the proper forum to
adjudicate what are essentially political differences between the United
States and the European Union over how we ought to treat Fidel Castro. We
don't think it's a trade issue. We think it's a political issue.
We think that Fidel Castro is an autocrat, who is a major league violator
of human rights in this hemisphere.
Frankly, we're a lot closer to Cuba than some of the European countries are
if you look at your map. So we're quite confident about the need for a U.S.
sanctions policy and the need for a tough policy to show the Cuban
Government that we're not going to stand by and watch the repression of the
Cuban people 90 miles from our shores. But we are willing to sit down will
allies - democratic allies - like the Europeans and try to figure out a way
to bridge differences so that the WTO doesn't have to address this
problem. That's not, we think, the proper forum.
We do want to call on the Europeans again to continue this new focus that
they have on human rights and democracy in Cuba. That's very important.
It's a very positive shift in European policy over the last four or five
months.
QUESTION: Nick, are you hoping for some sort of agreement today or over
the weekend that will make unnecessary the convening of this panel on
Monday?
MR. BURNS: That would be very convenient. We would welcome it.
QUESTION: That's the object of this whole exercise?
MR. BURNS: We'd like to work out an agreement. I can't anticipate whether
we'll be successful or not in that effort.
QUESTION: A procedural question. Suppose an agreement is reached tomorrow
or Sunday, will there be an announcement from some building? And, if so,
which one?
MR. BURNS: It's like that old philosophical question, if an agreement is
reached but the press isn't there, has it really been reached, and there's
no agreement.
QUESTION: (Inaudible)
MR. BURNS: If Leavy told you, it would be an agreement. If an agreement
is reached, we will activate the press office and we will announce the
agreement. We'll make great play out of the agreement. Tom will write an
article and others, and it will be great victory for the United States and
the European Union. If it's not reached, only Castro is going to win if we
don't reach an agreement.
QUESTION: Another topic?
MR. BURNS: Sure. We have to talk about parking tickets before we leave.
We have to talk about parking tickets. I insist on talking about parking
tickets. Whenever you want to do it, it's fine with me.
QUESTION: Can we dispense this because everybody is waiting.
QUESTION: Helms-Burton -
QUESTION: Well, this is a Kyrgyzstan diplomat who apparently has gotten a
parking ticket.
MR. BURNS: Oh, there are two issues. There's the New York affair -- so I
want to get to that.
Yes, Bill.
QUESTION: It was announced yesterday, the results of the trial in West
Germany. I believe the results were that the West Germans had determined
that high-ranking Iranian officials - in fact, to the very top in Iran -
had ordered the hits against the Kurds - the Kurds in Germany. I believe
the European Union now will sanction Iran. What is the reaction of the
United States Government to this?
MR. BURNS: Bill, we spoke to this in two briefings yesterday. We we're on
the record. Mike McCurry and I both responded to this.
But, essentially, we're very pleased that the European Union, including
Germany, have withdrawn their ambassadors from Tehran. We're very pleased
that the European Union has suspended its critical dialogue with Iran. We
hope very much that the Europeans will take resolute measures to join us in
our strategic containment of Iran because that state is an outlaw terrorist
state.
QUESTION: I would just follow by asking if the United States is anymore
convinced, or shares the belief of the German court that the very top
leaders of Iran are responsible for directing terrorism worldwide?
MR. BURNS: I spoke to that yesterday in the clearest possible terms
twice.
QUESTION: In the morning and in the afternoon as well.
MR. BURNS: Yes, I did; and the evening.
David.
QUESTION: Does the United States have any sense from its European allies
how long the ambassadors will be withdrawn; how long the critical dialogue
will be suspended? Do you have any sense of whether this is a temporary
blip in relations with Iran, or whether it's going to lead to a real
change?
MR. BURNS: No, we do not. We just know that they have taken these
actions. We hope that they are permanent and we hope that resolute economic
measures will be taken that would help the United States enforce a
containment program on Iran. But that's a decision that the European
Governments will have to make. We understand it's a difficult one for them,
but let's consider the stakes.
This is a country - Iran - that sponsors terrorism and finances it and
directs it operationally; that is trying in every way possible to impede
the Middle East peace negotiations and is building a nuclear and biological
and chemical warfare capability. Those are the reasons why we think we need
to isolate Iran.
We hope the European Union will now see this is a strategic imperative for
all of us.
QUESTION: When Assistant Secretary Gelbard was in Germany a couple of
weeks ago, I gather, and met with Chancellor Kohl along with Congressman
Lantos, was this the subject?
MR. BURNS: I really can't tell you specifically what they discussed in
that meeting. We normally don't go into discussions with heads of state -
in this case, with Chancellor Kohl. - with heads of government.
QUESTION: You would confirm that such a meeting took place?
MR. BURNS: I'll have to look into that, David.
QUESTION: China: Today's Washington Times reported that China also is
helping Iran for nuclear and biological weapons stockpile. Do you have any
reaction on this subject?
MR. BURNS: I think you know there was Congressional testimony yesterday
by Bob Einhorn, our Deputy Assistant Secretary. He spoke, I thought, very
squarely to this issue. We have raised many times over with the Chinese
Government our concerns about Chinese Government activity.
As you know, in some cases we have even brought sanctions to bear on
entities associated with the Chinese Government. We watch this issue very,
very carefully.
QUESTION: Nick, can you illuminate the Kyrgyzstan problem; the police
problem?
MR. BURNS: Yes. I can just tell you that at about 10:30 last night,
Erkinbek Atabekov, a second Secretary with the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan, was
involved in an accident when the van that he was driving struck a parked
vehicle along New Mexico Avenue which, in turn, struck another parked
vehicle.
Fortunately, no one was injured in this accident. Mr. Atabekov agreed to
take a roadside breathalyzer test which he failed.
The Washington, D.C. police cited Mr. Atabekov with driving while
intoxicated. The State Department was able to confirm Mr. Atabekov's
diplomatic status with the Washington, D.C. police under normal procedures.
Therefore, he was not arrested because, as you know, he has diplomatic
immunity.
Diplomats with the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan responded to the scene and took
Mr. Atabekov to his residence. Because alcohol was involved in this driving
accident, the United States will follow our standard policy with all
driving-under-the-influence cases. Therefore, we will request a waiver of
diplomatic immunity from the Government of Kyrgyzstan if he is, indeed,
cited for driving-under-the influence. If this waiver is granted, it will
allow him to appear in court for prosecution.
Of course, we will abide by the disposition of any court. If a waiver is
not granted by the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan, then we will automatically
suspend his driving privileges for a year. If he is involved in another
accident, once privileges are reinstated, then we will, of course, require
his departure from the United States - another accident under the influence
of alcohol.
There is a police report available to the Department of State this morning.
There are citations. We expect once formal charges are filed, we will send
a formal notice to the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan requesting a lifting of his
diplomatic immunity so he can face prosecution here in Washington, D.C.
QUESTION: No one in the car, right - parked car ?
MR. BURNS: No.
QUESTION: No one in the car?
MR. BURNS: I understand there was significant damage to the cars but,
fortunately, no one was injured, no one was in the cars.
QUESTION: Did you hear from the Russians concerning your request for a
waiver of diplomatic immunity?
MR. BURNS: I understand - yes, this is in the case of the Russian
diplomat who was suspected of driving under the influence.
I understand that we continue to discuss that case with the Russian Embassy
here. So I'll attempt to keep you abreast of those developments.
QUESTION: I suppose you know they haven't responded to your request for a
waiver?
MR. BURNS: I think I have to stand corrected. I don't believe we have
formally asked them to lift diplomatic immunity. I think we're still at the
discussion stage which precedes that step.
QUESTION: You told us it was automatic.
MR. BURNS: I thought it was automatic and it's not. Let me just say this
to enlighten you a little further.
In almost all cases, it is, in effect, automatic. It's something that is
done. In this particular case, we continue to discuss it with the Russian
Government. I want to keep you apprised of this because I know it's of
interest to you.
QUESTION: Do you want (inaudible) to the parking tickets?
MR. BURNS: Yes. We've read the incredible press stories about the affair
up in New York with the parking tickets. I think we have a couple of things
to say about this.
Mayor Giuliani has spoken out and the Russians and the U.N. and all sorts
of Ambassadors have been complaining.
I think the first thing to say is that we hope cooler heads will prevail
soon in New York City. We hope that all the diplomats up there that are
complaining about parking tickets understand one thing. World peace is not
at stake on the issue of parking tickets. There's a lot that should be
going on at the United Nations, like discussions of Albania and Zaire and
nuclear non-proliferation.
Parking tickets, we would think, would be lower down on the priority order.
We have put into place a program that is modeled on the program here in
Washington, D.C. where we have more diplomats than they have in New York.
That program has worked in Washington.
In the case of New York, the City of New York has worked very hard to
fulfill its end of the bargain. It promises two valid parking spaces for
each mission to the United Nations and one for each permanent
representative. So far, 111 new spaces have been added. The City of New
York has assured the diplomatic community that it's working on providing
approximately 200 other spaces. I think the City is meeting its obligations
to the United Nations.
Secondly, there have been certain complaints by the United Nations legal
counsel about various aspects of this program. Because of that, the State
Department is giving serious consideration to replacing our plan, that
would effectively take a license plate away if people didn't pay their
fines, to another plan that would deny the mission - the mission, say, of
the Russian Federation or Belarus or China - deny that mission a new
license plate if, in fact, one of their diplomats had been a repeat
offender, had encouraged significant fines and had not paid those fines.
It's really just a slight variation on the theme.
I think we have to be direct about one central concern of the United
States. We welcome the United Nations in the United States. We're the
founding country. Franklin Roosevelt had the idea, and we want the U.N. to
stay, and the U.N. is going to stay despite the efforts of lower-level
French officials to try to move it to Geneva.
But there's an important message to all the foreign diplomats here in the
United States. Foreign diplomats must obey the laws of the United States.
When you're a diplomat here, even if you have diplomatic immunity, it does
not give you the right to park in front of a fire hydrant in New York or
Washington, or any other city in our country. If you do park in front of a
fire hydrant and you get a fine from the City of New York or the City of
Washington, you must pay the fine.
Diplomatic immunity doesn't give you a privilege that is not available to
240 million American citizens. When an American diplomat goes to Moscow or
Minsk or Beijing, if they incur penalties, they have to pay them. Diplomats
can't stand above the law.
Some of these diplomats up in New York who are so quick to complain to all
of you seem to think that they are above the law. They're not above the
law. That has to be the central message that we give to them.
There's also this notion that if the United Nations doesn't get its way and
some of the hotheads up there in some of these countries don't get they're
way, they're going to take this to the World Court of Justice. Surely, the
World Court of Justice has better things to do than to argue the merits of
a parking plan in New York City.
There's the Imia/Kardak problem, Mr. Lambros. (Laughter) Just for example.
There are many issues of international law that are very important for
civil society internationally. Mayor Giuliani and Ambassador Bill
Richardson and Kofi Annan can resolve this problem without resorting to the
World Court of Justice. Let's be serious. Let's let cooler heads prevail,
and let's keep this all in perspective. That's our message today to all of
our friends - the foreign diplomatic community - in New York City.
QUESTION: A different subject?
MR. BURNS: I was having fun with that one. (Laughter)
QUESTION: Eleven Cubans have arrived in Florida on a small boat. Do you
have any idea what their situation is under the 1995 immigration agreements
with Cuba and the new immigration law?
MR. BURNS: Are you referring to last weekend's incident or the one today?
QUESTION: It was either last night or this morning.
MR. BURNS: John (Dinger), do you have anything on that? We'll check into
that, Jorge. We don't have any current information on this.
Yes, Ron.
QUESTION: President Lukashenko has said that despite the expulsion of an
American diplomat and the U.S. expulsion, he thinks that good relations are
possible. Do you think that good relations are possible with Belarus?
MR. BURNS: Unlikely. I'm serious. We have a policy now of selective
engagement with Belarus. We're very disappointed in the actions of the
Belarusian Government towards its people and towards us, frankly.
Ambassador Ken Yalowitz, of course, is going to be returning. But it's
going to be difficult for us to have good relations with that country as
long as it's governed the way it is, in an authoritarian manner, denying
the basic rights of its own people, turning its back on the reform movement
in the former Soviet Union led by the Russian Federation. We have many
problems with the Government of Belarus. We'll try as best as we can to get
along.
I can't stand here and predict rosy relations with Belarus in the future.
We're going to have to defend our own national interests and we'll
certainly do that. We'll try to meet the Belarusians half way where we can,
but they haven't given us many opportunities to do that.
QUESTION: When is the Ambassador going back?
MR. BURNS: I'll check on that for you, George. I know he does plan to go
back.
QUESTION: Nick, are you going to allow their Ambassador to come here?
MR. BURNS: I don't see why not, if our Ambassador is going back. But let
me check with our Russia office and get back to you on that.
Yes, Lisa.
QUESTION: The Washington Post recently reported that the White House put
a stop to Gregory Luchansky, Latvian businessman of NORDEX attending a DNC
fund-raising event. When did the State Department start looking into
Luchanski?
MR. BURNS: I don't know the answer to that question. Of course, we know
who he is. He's a prominent figure in that part of the world. We know he's
traveled - I think he traveled here to the United States in 1993, and he
may have come after that.
We're aware of these charges that have been made in the newspaper. I know
the White House is looking into that. I can't help you on that end of it.
We can take the question and see if we can get you some information on it.
There are some concerns about him as you know.
QUESTION: Is the State Department currently looking into possible wrong-
doings?
MR. BURNS: I'll have to get back to you on that. What I need to do here
is just seek further guidance from our experts who work this. I'm not
familiar with all the details of Mr. Luchanski's case.
Jorge.
QUESTION: Colombia. Has the Administration had time to look into
President Samper's proposal for extradition? And do you have a opinion
about his proposal?
MR. BURNS: We hope an extradition law is passed in Colombia because we
think that would help the fight against narcotics traffickers. Some of
these particularly egregious individuals deserve to be extradited to face
severe punishment in a country where they can get a fair trial and also a
country where those people can be incarcerated in prisons that are real
prisons. We hope very much that this effort succeeds, and we hope that it
might strengthen our narcotics cooperation with Colombia.
QUESTION: Do you have an opinion about the specific proposal, how it will
work and -
MR. BURNS: I'd leave that to the Colombian Government, not to us to
analyze. It's their bill, not ours. It's an important initiative.
Laura.
QUESTION: Zaire: Can you give us an update on the situation there, and do
you have an opinion about the proposal by the rebel leader giving President
Mobutu three days, basically, to step aside.
MR. BURNS: On the first question, I just want to get something out of the
way. There was a report on television and radio this morning that Mr.
Kabila said that all foreigners should leave Kinshasa. Actually, it was a
General associated with the rebel alliance. This appeal was only made once,
and we don't believe it represents the views of the rebel alliance.
As far as we know, we've been in contact with our Embassy in Kinshasa.
Kinshasa is quiet. We're watching the security situation of our people
very, very carefully. We'll do that a day at a time, and we'll continue to
watch it over the weekend.
Actually, I should reiterate. We issued a travel warning for Zaire on March
20th which did strongly encourage American citizens - private Americans not
affiliated with our Embassy - to leave Zaire. We would repeat that warning
to the American private community today.
For the political situation. Our views are well known. We think there
should be a transition away from dictatorship towards stability and
democracy. It's hard for us to assess the import of Mr. Kabila's three-day
amnesty period, if you want to call it that, and it's hard to predict how
President Mobutu will react to that.
We hope that there can be a permanent cease-fire. We know that Mr. Sahnoun
wants to begin again the peace talks in South Africa between the Government
and the rebel alliance just in a couple of days. We hope that they will
take the South African Government up on that offer; go back to Pretoria,
work out a full cease-fire, a permanent cease-fire and avoid a fight for
the capital which would obviously cost a lot of people their lives. Then,
we hope they concentrate on the political issues - economic and political
issues - that need to be addressed to effect a transition. That's our
proposal.
QUESTION: What makes you think that this statement by the General does
not represent the rebel alliance? Have you been in touch with Kabila
directly, or anybody else within his -
MR. BURNS: We've just heard it once. It wasn't from Mr. Kabila. That was
an erroneous press report. We certainly would have heard it from him and
heard it repeatedly had the rebels really wanted to warn the foreign
community to leave Kinshasa. So I think that's rather compelling.
We are in touch with Mr. Kabila as the situation warrants, as we can find
him. Our Embassy in Kinshasa has a political officer in Goma, a Liaison
Officer in Goma. That person and others, including people from Washington,
have been on the phone with Mr. Kabila. So we're in touch with him, and
we'll continue to do that - to be in touch as much as we can.
QUESTION: Are there signs that the Kabila forces are staging to move to
the West, to Kinshasa? Are our citizens being alerted of this possibility?
MR. BURNS: It's a long way from Lubumbashi to Kinshasa. There aren't
many, if any, major roads to get from one to the other. I don't think that
any kind of attack is imminent. We certainly hope it can be averted by a
cease- fire.
QUESTION: Today should be the last day of maritime negotiations with the
Japanese. Do you have an update on that?
MR. BURNS: I know that we continue to negotiate right now at the
Department of Transportation with the Japanese Government. We hope we can
be successful. It's hard to predict in these kinds of talks.
QUESTION: Do you have any indication of how it's gone so far?
MR. BURNS: I think that the two sides are communicating well,
cooperating. We both obviously want an agreement. That's
important. Sometimes in negotiations -- you need that in negotiations. It's
just hard to predict where we're going to end up today.
You know our position and you know the reason why we've taken our
complaints directly to the Japanese Government. We want fair play for
American firms in Japan, in Japanese ports. We want an ability to compete
on contracts fairly.
QUESTION: Are there any kind of a deadline for sanctions?
MR. BURNS: We have said that if there's no action by Monday, April 14th,
the Federal Maritime Commission will be forced to charge Japanese liners
$100,000 as they visit our ports because there has been discriminatory
practice against our own liners and companies in Japanese ports.
Betsy, do you have a question.
QUESTION: I was going to ask if there was any deadline? And if there was,
the possibility of these talks going on over the weekend.
MR. BURNS: OK. Mr. Lambros, there is a question.
QUESTION: The Greek daily, Eleftheros Typos, disclosed that secret
negotiations over the Aegean issue against the security of Greece started
finally in Brussels between the Greek and Turkish Governments without prior
knowledge of the Greek people, parliament, and the opposition.
According to top secret documents, these talks are going on with full NATO
and they have to underline and also U.S. involvement. Could you please
comment on the extent of U.S. involvement via your representative in NATO
Headquarters? And do you agree with these secret talks?
MR. BURNS: Mr. Lambros, if they were secret talks, I wouldn't know about
them.
QUESTION: Why? Why?
MR. BURNS: Because I can never talk about secret talks. I'm not sure that
anyone would tell us. I'm not aware of anything like this, Mr. Lambros, at
all.
QUESTION: Can you check for me?
MR. BURNS: Pardon?
QUESTION: Can you check?
MR. BURNS: I'm not aware of anything pertaining to any secret talks. I've
never heard about it; can't confirm it.
(Press briefing concluded at 1:32 p.m.)
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