State Dept. Daily Press Briefing September 13, 2005
Daily Press Briefing
Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
September 13, 2005
INDEX:
NORTH KOREA
A/S Hill's Schedule in Beijing / Resumption of Six-Party Talks /
Statement of Principles
EGYPT
Security at Rafah Border Crossing Following Israeli Withdrawal
CHINA
Secretary Rice to Attend President Bush's Meeting withPresident
Hu / Additional Meetings Scheduled With Secretary Rice and Other
Chinese Officials
JAPAN
President Bush Congratulated Prime Minister Koizumi and the LDP on
Victory in Elections / Assessment of the Past by All Parties in the Region
IRAN
Call for Re-suspension of Enrichment Activity and Return to Talks
with Europeans / Broken Commitments / U.S. Engagement with
Europeans and the IAEA
TRANSCRIPT:
1:04 p.m. EDT
MR. ERELI: A small but committed following, thank you for coming. I don't have any statements to start off with today,
so let's go to your questions.
QUESTION: Do you have anything to say about the dinner in Beijing where the six-party process got off Tuesday night,
their time?
MR. ERELI: Well, let's go -- let's start before that. Assistant Secretary Hill arrived in Beijing today from Seoul. In
the afternoon, in Beijing, he had a bilateral with the Chinese delegation and that was followed by a brief heads of
delegation meeting that focused largely on logistical issues. And then the third event was the heads of delegation
dinner hosted by the Chinese. It included conversations with all the parties. It wasn't a long dinner.
I think on the basis of our discussions with the parties in Beijing today, it was agreed to resume where they left off
in August, specifically with the Chinese fourth draft of a joint statement as a starting point. And they agreed that
they want to see progress at the talks this week.
I would note that tomorrow we are looking forward to separate meetings with all five delegations, as well as a heads of
delegation meeting. So I think the real serious, substantive engagement on the fourth draft will begin in earnest
tomorrow.
QUESTION: Did the North Koreans talk about their requirement that they be allowed to have a civil nuclear power
capability?
MR. ERELI: I'm not going to speak for the North Koreans. I think you know what our -- we've been pretty outspoken and
clear about what our views on that are, that, you know, North Korea needs to get out of the nuclear game period. But
obviously, as Assistant Secretary Hill has made clear, when you are in these kinds of negotiations, you've got to deal
with all the issues on the table. That is what we are working toward and trying to achieve agreement on a statement of
principles. That's what we will be doing tomorrow.
QUESTION: Could you talk about the developments at the Rafah crossing? It's our understanding that Egyptian border
guards were essentially letting anyone and everyone go back and forth and jump the fence, both yesterday and today.
MR. ERELI: Yes.
QUESTION: Is the United States at all concerned about that? Have you been in touch with either the Egyptians or the
Palestinians about it?
MR. ERELI: There is nothing particularly new we have to say on that. I don't know if I've seen the reports that you're
referring to. Obviously the role of the Egyptians in terms of supporting border security in the wake of the Israeli
withdrawal is something that has been worked out to the satisfaction of all sides -- Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian.
That this is an important role that Egypt is playing.
It's a significant contribution, we think, to not only facilitating withdrawal but also to supporting security and
helping the Palestinians and meeting, you know, the needs of both parties for security and for moving forward in terms
of helping the Palestinians exercise control over that territory. But as far as recent events, given -- that have
transpired since the Israelis left, I don't have anything new for you on that.
QUESTION: Could you check? I mean I guess we've got eyewitness --
MR. ERELI: Yes. Well, I'll see if we've got anything.
QUESTION: -- accounts of essentially of no control. People just walking back and forth and the Egyptian guards not
stopping them.
MR. ERELI: I'll see if we've got anything on it.
Don't all raise your hands at once. Yes.
QUESTION: President Bush is going to meet with the Chinese President this afternoon in New York.
MR. ERELI: Right.
QUESTION: I'm wondering if Secretary Rice is going to meet her counterpart.
MR. ERELI: Secretary Rice will certainly be part of the meeting with President Hu and President Bush. What other
meetings are scheduled with the Secretary and other possible Chinese officials, I'd refer to our press office in New
York. They've got the latest there. If you don't have the number, we can give it to you.
QUESTION: I do.
MR. ERELI: Okay.
QUESTION: Thanks.
QUESTION: As we discussed yesterday the Japanese (inaudible) democratic party had (inaudible) the other day in the
general election. Some people, some people, especially in Japan's neighboring countries like Korea, South Korea or
China, are afraid for the Prime Minister to pay visit to so-called Yasukuni Shrine again. I'm wondering what is the U.S.
idea -- U.S. position, regarding with this issue. Do you support the Japanese Prime Minister to pay visit to the
Yasukuni Shrine or you don't like the Japanese Prime Minister to do that?
MR. ERELI: Let me first point you to a statement issued by the White House yesterday, in which President Bush
congratulated Prime Minister Koizumi and the LDP on its victory in the elections. President Bush also called -- I think
Scott McClelland talked about this in his briefing earlier today -- President Bush called Prime Minister Koizumi to
congratulate him.
As far as the specific issue that you raise, I think the U.S. position is well known that there needs to be an honest
and forthright assessment of the past by all parties concerned in the terrible events of the earlier part of -- the
middle part of last century. This is a process that all nations go through. It is an honest and open historical
assessment. There are clearly sensitivities in the region and it is up to the countries in that region, I think, to note
and work with an awareness of those sensitivities.
QUESTION: So you mean then Japan, China or South Korea should discuss together on this issue?
MR. ERELI: I don't really want to elaborate further.
Yes, ma'am.
QUESTION: President Bush in his press conference with President Talabani a short while ago, said on the Iranian UN
Security Council question he didn't exactly answer the question of whether he thought it would be -- that referral would
come soon. But he did say something at the end about we'll see what the Iranians' answer is during their visit to New
York. Is the Administration expecting some sort of statement or interaction with the Iranians in New York that would
give you some answer on their nuclear development questions?
MR. ERELI: I think what we are expecting, frankly is we are expecting and believe Iran should re-suspend and return to
negotiations with the Europeans. I mean the fact of the matter is they committed to the Europeans to have talks. They
walked away from those talks. They broke their commitment to the Europeans. That's a bad thing. And that's something
that, first and foremost, I think, shows where the Iranians are, not just with respect to us, but with respect to other
important members of the international community. And so what we want to see is a return to those talks and a
re-suspension of the enrichment activity, and that is what the Europeans are working towards, that's what we are working
towards. And I think that's what the international community wants to see as well and this being done in a way that can
also lead to answering IAEA -- outstanding questions from the IAEA.
QUESTION: But that's where --
MR. ERELI: It's up to Iran. Could they say something about it in the UN? Yeah, I suppose they could. I don't have any
sort of update to the diplomacy on this issue to share with you with specific respect to what's going on in the UN in
the next couple of days, other than to say that this is something that we remain actively engaged on with the Europeans,
with the members of the IAEA Board of Governors because it is a big step backwards that we want to reverse.
QUESTION: What does "actively engaged" mean at this point? I mean, for the last couple of weeks, there's been --
MR. ERELI: I don't have anything -- I don't have any specific new steps to share with you in New York on that. I think
that -- I just don't have anything new to share with you on that.
Okay?
(The briefing was concluded at 1:16 p.m.)
DPB #156
ENDS