PRESS AVAILABILITY WITH COLIN L. POWELL
SECRETARY OF STATE
AND
PER STIG MOELLER
DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER
AND
CHRIS PATTON
EUPOPEAN UNION COMMISSIONER

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

December 18, 2002

Excerpts

. . .

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the Iraqi declaration does not appear to have yielded much of the information you were looking for. How do you plan to proceed now toward your goal of achieving disarmament?

SECRETARY POWELL: Our analysis of the Iraqi declaration to this point, almost two weeks into the process this weekend, shows problems with the declaration, gaps, omissions, and all of this is troublesome. In my conversations with other permanent members of the Security Council, I sense that they also see deficiencies in the resolution, in the declaration.

We will wait for UNMOVIC and IAEA to present their analysis tomorrow. We look forward to examining what they have to say. We will make statements after they have presented to the Security Council and then work with our partners in the Security Council to determine the way to go forward.

Iraq was given an opportunity in UN Resolution 1441 to cooperate with the international community, to stop deceiving the world with respect to its weapons of mass destruction. We are not encouraged that they have gotten the message or will cooperate based on what we have seen so far in the declaration, but we will stay within the UN process. The President made it clear he wanted to work with the UN and the international community, and we will share our analysis of the declaration with other members of the Council and discuss how to move forward in the weeks ahead.

As you know, Mr. Blix and Mr. El Baradei, Dr. Blix and Dr. El Baradei, have until about the 27th of January to complete their analysis of the declaration and to report formally to the Council.

QUESTION: Prime Minister Sharon of Israel indicated that he will not be cooperating with the Quartet or the proposed roadmap for Middle East until after the Israeli general elections, planned for the end of next month. How much would that complicate your efforts, both in the United States and European Union, in order to reach the vision of a Palestinian state by 2005?

SECRETARY POWELL: We have been in discussion with Prime Minister Sharon and the Israeli Government, with the Arab governments in the region, and with Palestinian leaders for months over the roadmap. The roadmap is the manner in which we execute the President's vision of 24 June in his speech, and what we will do with the Quartet on Friday is to review all the comments we've received with respect to the roadmap, come as close as we can to agreement on the roadmap, discuss it with the President on Friday, and then continue to discuss the elements of the roadmap with the parties in the region.

Because of the Israeli election, to be frank, and because of the number of issues that are before the Israeli public right now, we think it would be wiser in this instance for us to continue work on the roadmap and wait until after the Israeli election is over. It's just a matter of weeks until that is solved, resolved, and then we will engage with all the parties in the region with respect to a roadmap if we have complete agreement on the elements of the roadmap, at least within the Quartet at that time.

There are elements to the roadmap that are received favorably by both sides and there are elements that there is disagreement. One would expect that. But both sides understand that in order for us to move forward toward this vision of the end of violence, the end of terror, and the establishment of a Palestinian state, a roadmap is necessary. You have to have a way to move forward. And that way forward will be performance-based, it will require action on both parts, both parties, but it must end with the end of terror and violence, or else it is very difficult to move forward.

FOREIGN MINISTER MOELLER: Well, it's obvious that the roadmap exists. You can read it on the homepage, so it's not a secret that there is a roadmap. But, of course, the final things have not been settled in the roadmap, but it's necessary that the -- to my opinion it is very important and to European Union's opinion, it's very important that the voters of Israel know what the world thinks about the situation. I think that being an enlightened voter means that you also have the information on which you build your vote.

And I think it's necessary to have, to combine the vision of President Bush and the initiative of Crown Prince Abdullah with a map to come to that goal, which is two states. How do we get there? And there is still some progress on the ground because we have these London task forces which still have cooperation between the Palestinians and Israelis. Money is coming back to the Palestinian Authority after all. Things which have been demanded from the roadmap, from the task forces, are being done -- not as quickly as some of us would like, but they are being done. It's not disasters and setbacks, all of it.

But it's very important that Israel knows that it must end with two states. And it's very important that the Palestinians know that they will never get two states if terrorism continues. Because there will never be the climate in which you can negotiate the final settlement between the two states. There must be built some trust in the middle of all this distrust which is in the region. And that is what the roadmap tries, gradually to build up trust so that you finally can make the final settlements between those.

And that's why the European Union the other day made a declaration saying you had to stop the settlements, because the way the settlements is now growing means that you will end up with a Palestinian state looking like a Swiss cheese -- a lot of holes. So if you are going to have this vision with two viable states, then you also have to make the Palestinian state viable at the end of the day.

So for us, we're looking forward to discussions on Friday, but the most important thing is not some details in the roadmap, but that the process starts and it will be performance-based and hope-driven. Israel has to give the Palestinians hope for the future. And the Palestinians have to show that they can stop the terrorism.

. . .

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you have now asked the Danish Government for the possibility of using the Thule base for a missile defense. Could you please elaborate a little on what you have asked for and also what the American position is on any revision of the defense agreement or the agreement about using the Thule base from '51, please?

SECRETARY POWELL: We have had conversations on the use of Thule for missile defense purposes. After this meeting, the Minister and I will be meeting with the representative from the Home Government in Greenland, and I will present a letter to the Minister for their consideration.

The defense agreement of 1951, I think, has stood us all in good stead and I don't see a need to change or modify that agreement. I should take note of the fact that over the last 50-odd years, as issues have come up we've been able to resolve those issues with memorandums of understanding or other ways of dealing with those issues other than changing the 1951 agreement.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary and Mr. Foreign Minister as well, on Iran, which you said you discussed, the EU opened trade talks with Tehran this week, just as the US spoke about even greater concerns about especially two of Iran's nuclear facilities. Are these two policies clashing? Has the EU -- sorry. Has the US expressed its concern to you sufficiently? Will you change your policies?

And if you guys could throw in something on Venezuela, I'd be very happy -- not in the same answer.

FOREIGN MINISTER MOELLER: The European Union has started negotiations with Iran, dialogue trade. We have started trade with Iran under condition that we open a human rights and political rights dialogue. And as soon as we do not have human rights dialogue, political dialogue, the trade agreement does not exist anymore.

We think this is the best way to help the reform forces of the Iranian society to get more influence in their society because, in this way, the world outside Iran can come in and say this stoning, for instance, of women are not acceptable, that it is barbarian. And it means you must have a dialogue if you will have a chance to influence upon another people or another country.

So that's why we say we are not just trading with Iran; it's on a condition that there's progress on political and human rights.

SECRETARY POWELL: I certainly agree with the Minister, and that's what we did talk about. The two have to be linked. Progress on political reform and changes in their political system have to go along with the elements of the TCA, and there have to benchmarks so you can measure progress as you go ahead.

We did not discuss the two reactors that you make a reference to, but I am confident that the EU is watching that situation as carefully as we are. We are concerned about Iranian proliferation efforts and efforts to acquire nuclear technology that might lead to a nuclear weapon. It's a country that has no need for nuclear power generation capability. It has more than enough fossil fuel to sustain itself for the number of years you care to project into the future.

So we are concerned that these facilities might have another purpose and we have discussed this with our friends in the European Union over time, and especially with our Russian friends who are helping with these kinds of projects.

Chris.

COMMISSIONER PATTEN: Perhaps I can just add one word. We are pressing the Iranians to sign the IAEA additional protocol which would allow inspection of sites at any time and in an unlimited way. And I should just make it clear that, for us, Iran is not a huge trading partner. It only represents about one percent of our trade.

It is true that the European Union is, for Iran, the biggest trading partner, and I hope that we can use Iran's ambition to open up to the rest of the world economy in order to create jobs, in order to encourage further political change in that country.

SECRETARY POWELL: And on Venezuela? We did discuss Venezuela. We are concerned about the situation there, watching it very closely, supporting the efforts of the Secretary General of the OAS to find a solution that is based on the constitution, that is based on a solid understanding of the electoral process, and that is democratic.

And in the last 24 hours there has been a little bit of movement with respect to the two sides reaching out to one another with a statement of their respective positions. But we have to be concerned, nonetheless, that the demonstrations that are taking place in the street, the potential for violence and the damaging effect that these disturbances are having on the economy and on the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy. So we're watching very closely.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you mentioned that you talked about Cyprus. Are you optimistic a solution could still be achieved before the end of February? And is the high priority for your administration, to the extent that you could even think about traveling to Athens, Ankara and maybe Nicosia, to achieve that solution?

And also, how would you assess Mr. Denktash's stand, where in the last few days we also see differences within the Turkish Cypriot community because of his stand?

SECRETARY POWELL: I think it is still possible to achieve a solution. We'll work hard for it. We're supporting Kofi Annan's efforts. We're in close contact with our European Union colleagues. If it involves travel and that could serve some purpose, always ready, willing and able. I'm not sure that's the right answer right now, but I think any one of us would do what is necessary and within our power to do to try to achieve a solution to this problem which has existed for so many years.

I hope that both sides, all four parties who really have an equity in this, will view the proposal of the Secretary General with seriousness and try to find a way to use this historic opportunity to resolve this longstanding problem.

FOREIGN MINISTER MOELLER: Yes, of course we hope the United Nations have a deal on Cyprus before February 28th so that we can have a united Cyprus which becomes member from the 1st of May 2004 in the European Union. I had hoped it would happen last week. Then we have had the ESDP and we've had the enlargement, but okay, you cannot get everything.

But there's still a chance. The two communities really want to unite. That's clear from the reactions from the last days. The Greek Cypriot leader at the enlargement meeting in Copenhagen last Friday made a very, very beautiful declaration saying that he will work hard to get the island united as soon as possible and before February 28th.

And we have in the European Union, in connection with the enlargement, of course, set money aside to help the Turkish Cypriots to arrive at the same level as the Greek Cypriots as soon as possible, as quickly as possible.

So I really think there are good possibilities now. This is an historic moment for unification. If you don't use this historic moment to finish before February 28, then it can take a very long time. So both communities shall think this is now, this now can be done. If not now, then when? And when is far away.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.