Showing posts with label RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV. Show all posts

Thursday, June 5, 2014

REMARKS BY SECRETARY KERRY AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV BEFORE MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Paris, France
June 5, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Let me just say that it’s a pleasure for me to be able to welcome Foreign Minister Lavrov so that we have an opportunity to be able to discuss issues of obvious importance to the relationship between the United States and Russia, but obviously even more so important to everybody who wants to see peace and stability in Ukraine and progress on other issues of concern that we share together.

President-elect Poroshenko has made it clear that he wants to reach out to all of the people of Ukraine, and he intends to make a major effort to bring the country together. This is an opportunity we hope for Russia, the United States, and others – all of them to come together in an effort to try to make a Ukraine that is strong economically, whose sovereignty is respected, whose independence is respected, but which clearly is not the pawn in a tug-of-war between other nations, but rather an independent, sovereign country with the integrity of its borders and people, able to act as a bridge between east and west with trade, with engagement between all parties.

That’s our hope, and we hope that with Russia, together we have an ability to be able to find a way to cooperate in order to help make this happen. That’s our hope. And there obviously are difficulties. We understand that. That’s why we’re meeting today to talk about them before the celebrations in Normandy.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: Yeah. I can only subscribe to what Secretary Kerry just said. We would like to see Ukraine peaceful, stable, a place for all those who live in Ukraine – for them to be feeling equal, respected, heard, and listened to, living in peace, being a bridge, not being a pawn. And the Russian-American agenda is much broader than just Ukraine. We would like to see other countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria, many others, also to be in peace, not to be used as a pawn, and I hope that we can discuss all these things with the Secretary here today.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all very much.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

PRESS AVAILABILITY ON SYRIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

 

Press Availability With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UN Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi



Press Availability
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Chief of Mission Residence
Paris, France
January 13, 2014





SECRETARY KERRY:  Good morning.  I want to thank all of you for coming, and I want to particularly thank both Ambassador Brahimi and Minister Lavrov for joining me here today as we prepare for the Geneva II conference later this month.

Today, Ambassador Brahimi, Minister Lavrov, and I continued our conversation on the civil war in Syria, where more than 130,000 lives have been lost thus far – to the best of people’s ability to measure – and millions more have lost their homes and any sense of security.  The estimates are there are maybe 8 million people displaced and well more than 2 million refugees.

In terms of the path forward, the United States and Russia met bilaterally before we met with Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi today, and I think it’s fair to say that Russia and the United States are in full agreement on a number of points. 

We are in full agreement that the violence, the death, and the needless suffering in Syria must come to an end.  We are in full agreement that the humanitarian crisis is not only affecting millions of Syria, people, but also those in neighboring countries like Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan; and this dislocation, this disruption, is absolutely unacceptable.

We are in full agreement that the resolution to this conflict must be peaceful, that there isn’t a military solution.  And we are in full agreement that we need to make our best efforts.  From the moment that we announced this last spring in Moscow, through now, we must continue our best efforts in order to try to bring the parties to Geneva and forge forward. 

For all of the reasons I’ve just cited, we are in full agreement that we have to do all we can in order to begin the process in Geneva, a process that we all understand will be difficult and will take some time.  But we must begin and we must begin now. 

In the days leading up to the dialogue that will begin in Montreux, Switzerland, the United States will continue to consult very closely with our international partners, including Ambassador Brahimi and our Russian counterparts.  And we will also keep in very close contact with the Syrian coalition.  I will be meeting later today with President Jarba and with other ministers here in Paris.

While the United States believes that the only precondition for participating in Geneva II conference should be support for the Geneva I communique, it is hard to see how a regime that does not have within its hands the ability to improve the situation on the ground, improve the climate, could participate in a sense with the good faith that people are looking for in this situation. 

There should be no further delay, in our judgment, in ending the aerial bombardment of children, civilians, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.  We believe that the basic disregard for human rights and human dignity that we are witnessing in the area needs to come to an end.  I’ve discussed with Minister Lavrov the ways that we can work together to try to ensure – and by the way, there are on both sides abuses, and I want to be clear:  This is not one-sided.  We are reading accounts of some of the extremists on the opposition side engaging against each other and engaging in atrocities against each other. 

And it is that widespread violence that is motivating all of us here to believe in the urgency of trying to bring this to a close.  There is no question but that the ultimate path in order to end the bloodshed and the suffering and the brutality and instability is through the kind of negotiated settlement that we are trying to reach through the implementation of the Geneva communique. 

Bringing the two sides together in order to begin these conversations is absolutely critical.  And I think Minister Lavrov and I both understand that the United States and Russia need to use the good offices of our countries and our relationships in order to encourage the parties, all of the parties, all of the interested players, to come to the table in order to engage in this dialogue.  And we have both agreed today that we will exercise our best efforts in order to do that.

It’s our hope that in the face-to-face meeting of the regime and the opposition will be the beginning – the beginning – of the end to this unspeakable conflict.  Russia and the United States also agree that it is the parties in the end who must come to a conclusion.  We are not standing here proclaiming or suggesting some kind of Russian and American outcome that will be imposed on anybody.  This is something the parties are going to have to negotiate on.  But we will use every effort at our disposal to use our offices, our good offices, in an effort try to encourage the parties to come to that kind of conclusion.

Ultimately, it’s up to the Syrian people themselves to decide the future and the political path forward.  The international community has an all-important role to play in pressing for that agreement, and the leadership of the United Nations and Russia, together with our good efforts, are going to be critical to that effort.

Now let me just say a couple quick things.  Today, we discussed a number of things that we think could help set the stage for success in Geneva.  And success is defined by a good beginning.  It is not defined in the beginning by a final outcome.  That is going to take some time, and we acknowledge that.  But we talked today about the possibility of trying to encourage a ceasefire, maybe a localized ceasefire, beginning with Aleppo.  And both of us have agreed to try to work to see if that could be achieved.  The opposition has already agreed that if the Assad regime were willing to declare that, they would live up to it and they’re prepared to do that.

We also discussed the possibility of prisoner exchanges, and we have discussed that with the opposition.  The opposition has declared that they are prepared to put together lists, they are prepared to entertain such an exchange.

And finally, we discussed the all-important issue of humanitarian access.  I’m pleased to say that Foreign Minister Lavrov indicated that he’s had some conversations with the regime, that the regime may be prepared to open up a number of areas, specifically East Ghouta, which we have been pushing for for some period of time, and it may be possible for convoys now to be able to access.  The proof will be in the pudding, as we say.  The proof will be in the actions that may or may not be taken in the days ahead, but this is – this news of a possibility is welcome and we look forward to working with our Russian counterparts in an effort to try to follow through on it.

The anguish of the Syrian people demands action.  Our global responsibilities, which we accept, demand action.  Our conscience collectively demands action.  So it is imperative for all of us that we try to push towards the peace and stability that the people of Syria long for and deserve, and the stability that the region, all of those countries affected most adversely – Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and others – they also need to find stability and peace in this process.

It’s time for the Syrian people to be able to chart a future for themselves where all Syrians have a say and a stake in their nation’s success.  And we believe that we can help them start to walk down that path with our actions today, but most importantly with what can begin in Montreux and move to Geneva.

Foreign Minister Lavrov. 

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV:  (Via interpreter)  Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.  Ladies and gentlemen, we have had very constructive talks, indeed, had various bilateral talks with State Secretary Kerry and his delegation and then with the participation of the Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.  Our discussion, as you understand, was focused on the preparations for the Geneva II conference.  The secretary general has already circulated the invitations.  The Syrian Government has given its consent and submitted the list of its delegation, which is comprised of several members, including two women incidentally.  Now we are concerned with the delay and what the opposition should do.

Yesterday, I met the delegation of the National Coalition, and it was led by Mr. Jarba.  We stated our concerns and urged the National Coalition to, as soon as possible, determine its attitude to cooperation with other opposition groups so that the opponents of the government, the opposition to the government, is representative, as it was last year.

We’ve agreed with John Kerry and Lakhdar Brahimi on a number of most important issues.  First of all, we are firmly in favor of convening the Geneva II conference, as was declared on January the 22nd.  We do have some information given to us by Mr. Brahimi on a number of organizational matters the United Nations is dealing with at the moment.  We welcome the work that has been undertaken, and once again we are in favor of convening the Geneva II conference on January the 22nd

Secondly, we have some common ground and we’ve reaffirmed it today, and that is the Geneva II conference should be dedicated to fully implementing the Geneva communique of last year, which, among other things, presupposes that the exchange of prisoners of war should be discussed, the humanitarian access to those who need it, and the ceasefire – all those issues should be accomplished.  But as State Secretary has already said, we do not want to postpone it until the conference, and what can be done before the beginning of the conference should be done.

We are going to try to send the signals to all the Syrian sides on the need of establishing at least localized ceasefires, on the need to consider the lists of prisoners of war and simply prisoners, including civilians.  We are also trying to expand the opportunities for providing humanitarian access to those areas which are now blocked either by the government or the opposition.  Our American counterparts and we do have an understanding we should act in concert.  The government has declared its willingness to provide humanitarian convoys to Yarmouk and Baza’a as early as today, and they declared the need to agree, together with the opposition and with support of the International Red Cross, the U.S., and Russia, on providing humanitarian aid to East Ghuta and to a number of other suburbs of Damascus, and we wait for similar steps from the opposition with regard to those areas of Syria which are so far blocked by the opposition.

We are going to continue this work.  Those are not preliminary conditions, and this is our common understanding as well.  This is not a precondition for convening the conference.  These are the steps that are going to assuage the anguish of civilians, and we’re going to facilitate it.  We’re going to work in concert with the opposition and the government. 

Today, we also recalled – even though we didn’t forget about that – it is difficult to forget about that.  We recalled the decisions of the G8 in Lough Erne.  The final statement urges the government and the opposition to agree on uniting their efforts in the fight against terrorism, which has engulfed Syria.  This should be decided upon during Geneva II.  If it will not solve, the Geneva II conference is not going to succeed.  And it is encouraging that both the government and the opposition, as was (inaudible) by Mr. Jarba – still holds to that because they’re concerned about the terrorists that have engulfed Syria. 

And finally, apart from the need to secure, as soon as possible, a positive response from the opposition on their participation in the Geneva II conference and making it representative, it is also very important to invite the external actors, which should also be representative, and therefore it is quite clear that Iran and Saudi Arabia should participate in this conference. 

We do hope that in the end, the Secretary General who is responsible for sending the invitations to the conference is going to send the invitations to all those in whom the developments of the situation are concerned.  Therefore, I can say that I’m content with our – today’s talks, and I think that in those short few days that – before January the 22nd, we’re going to do everything in our power to initiate a process.  This is going to be a process, as John said.  This is not going to be a one-time event.  We’re going to do everything in our power to secure a direct dialogue between the Syrians themselves, with a view to determine what the future of their country should be, and they should do that themselves.  And we’re going to grant our assistance to them.  Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY:  (Inaudible.)  Mr. Special Representative.  Thank you.

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE BRAHIMI:  I’m very grateful to you, Secretary of State, and to you, Minister Lavrov, for inviting me to this meeting and for the very useful exchange of views that we have had before moving to this press conference. 

I think that – I was pleased to inform you of the preparations that are taking place for the meeting in Montreux on the 22nd of January, and then the preparations also for the direct negotiations between the government and the opposition in Syria, with facilitation by us in the United Nations in Geneva, as of the 24th.  We are extremely grateful to you for the effort your two countries, together with many other countries, are deploying now to prepare the best possible atmosphere for the conference to take place in Montreux and for the negotiations to start in Geneva on the 24th.

In particular, the Secretary General has been calling for some humanitarian unilateral actions to be taken by the government in particular, but also by the opposition concerning prisoner exchange, humanitarian access, and also a ceasefire – as wide as possible, but even local ceasefires would be welcome.

So we’re looking forward to what can be done in all these three areas before the conference takes place and also immediately after the conference takes place.  I hope that these confidence-building measures will also contribute to create the necessary atmosphere for these negotiations to succeed.

We heard today that some aid is going into the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus.  We also were happy to hear of negotiations that have taken place directly between the government and some armed groups around Damascus.  This shows that a lot can be done to alleviate the terrible sufferings that have been inflicted on the Syrian people.  And we hope that this is a beginning that will be built on before coming to this, before Geneva, during Geneva, and then after Geneva, as you said, Secretary of State, the Syrian people can take their fate into their own hands and start building what I called the new Syria that has to be built by them and by none other.

But I think that the Syrians recognize that the seriousness of the crisis they have been going through in these three years is such that they need a lot of help from outside, from countries like the United States and Russia, the P5, and their neighbors.  I think their – it’s high time that their neighbors show what is – the will, the imagination, the creativity – to help Syria solve its problems, because if Syria continues any longer in this crisis, that crisis is going to affect them.  It is already affecting both of them, as we have seen, in Lebanon and Iraq. 

So we are now looking forward to this conference on the 22nd with all the countries that are going to be there whose role will be, essentially, to encourage the Syrians to start these negotiations on the basis of the communique of Geneva I, of the 30th of June.  And once again, I thank you, Secretary of State and Minister Lavrov, for this opportunity you have given me of joining you to discuss the preparation of Geneva.  Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY:  Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador.  I think we’re open for questions.

MS. PSAKI:  The first question will be from Karen DeYoung of The Washington Post

QUESTION:  Thank you.  First to Ambassador Brahimi, you said that you would welcome Iran’s participation in the Geneva II talks, but that the United States did not agree, and Mr. Lavrov has just asked for Iranian participation.  The United States says that you are the host and that it’s a UN decision.  If you would believe it would be helpful, why don’t you invite them?

And secondly, to Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary Kerry, you’ve spoken about confidence-building steps.  To Foreign Minister Lavrov, your country has a bitter experience with siege and starvation.  You just spoke about lifting the siege of East Ghouta and other places.  Can you tell us anything more about your conversations with the Syrian Government, and do you think there should be consequences for a failure to allow such access?

And to Secretary Kerry, again, could you talk about whether there should be consequences for failure to allow access for humanitarian aid?  And separately, since opposition fighters are divided among themselves into warring factions, how could you guarantee that the rebels would honor any ceasefire?

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV:  I think your last sentence was the answer to all three questions.  (Laughter.)

QUESTION:  Could you elaborate?

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV:  You are first, Lakhdar. 

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE BRAHIMI:  It is true that the Secretary General of the United Nations, and I with him, have been saying that Iran is a very important country in the region and that they have to be present in a conference like this.  But – and it is true also that it is the Secretary General who has been – who has sent the invitations to Geneva II.  But I think the agreement has been that the decision will be taken by consensus between the initiating states, which are – at both this conference – which are Russia and the United States, and the host of conference and the convener of the conference, which is the United Nations.  Discussions are still continuing between the three countries, and we hope that before we are over, the right decision will be taken.  Thanks.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV:  (Via interpreter)  As usual, the UN is trying to shun responsibility, trying to put the responsibility on Russia and the U.S., but I do hope that the Secretary General is going to take the right decision.  After all, one cannot be influenced by ideological sentiment so much that it harms the interests of the cause.  We are engaged in talks with Iran.  When we – the American troops were in Afghanistan and in Iraq, we were talking with Iran.  And back then, no one had any problems with any ideology, and I’m convinced that the Syrian issue, as important as the Iranian nuclear program, so – all the countries that can influence the situation and Iran and Saudi Arabia just like that, should be invited to the conference. 

As far as your question to me is concerned concerning the humanitarian access, you said yourself that there are many groups in Syria; there is no single front, as it were, between the government and the opposition.  The opposition is fragmented.  There are many terrorists in Syria and they are becoming more numerous.  Jabhat al-Nusrah, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is acting there.  The Islamic Front is also active there, and has been formed recently, and the militants are circulating from one group to another depending on who pays most.  There are many foreign mercenaries there.  By the way, I’ve had a glance at the charter of the Islamic Front.  It urges the foreign jihadists to come to Syria and be recruited into the ranks of this organization.  So I believe thinking that the opposition is the counterbalance against the extremism is not justified.  I believe all those organizations are like that.

Now when we talk about the need to get a ceasefire, to unblock as many (inaudible) settlements as possible to provide humanitarian access – while all those factors are taken into account, up until recently in Aleppo, the Free Syrian Army and ISIS and all other groups were fighting there.  According to the latest reports, the ISIS’s posture there has been somewhat weakened.  Anyway, we do not want a ceasefire, which would be used by a terrorist group, because that would be against the interests of everyone. 

Therefore, when trying to resolve the issue of a ceasefire and providing humanitarian access, we should take heed of all of those factors.  There are examples.  When, without any external pressure, agreements have been reached, say, in the region of Moadamiya where the government and the opposition forces agreed on a ceasefire to get humanitarian aid to that region.  Today, the government has announced that it’s going to provide humanitarian access to Yarmouk, to the camp of Palestinian refugees.  Some days ago, such an attempt has already been undertaken, but it was undermined by the militants which attacked a humanitarian convoy.  The government is also going to try to provide humanitarian aid to yet another area, and the government is also willing, as I have already told you, to get assistance from the International Red Cross, with the support of Russia and the U.S., to provide humanitarian aid to East Ghouta and a number of other suburbs of Damascus.

Regarding the consequences in case of failure to provide humanitarian access, well, I think right now it is most important to meet the needs of the people that are suffering.  We should not be engaged in any saber-rattling.  The provision of humanitarian aid is undermined by militants, and those attacks cost us 32 lives of those who work for international humanitarian agencies.  Ultimatums, sanctions, we’ve already seen that.  It does no good.

SECRETARY KERRY:  What Sergey has just described is precisely why it is so urgent to be able to end this conflict and for countries to come together in a responsible way.  And frankly, it calls on Iran to be a responsible actor.  Foreign Minister Lavrov is absolutely correct.  There are these various groups, some of them completely unacceptable to the other oppositionists who are more moderate and who are supported by some of us both in the region and in the West. 

The fact is that groups like ISIL – the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – al-Nusrah, al-Qaida, are terrorist organizations, and they’ve been labeled as terrorist organizations.  And their behavior is completely unacceptable, and they are one of the concerns that we share with Russia and with others in the region.  And those terrorists greatly complicate this equation.  It’s one of the reasons why Geneva conference is so imperative as an effort to try to resolve this in a political way, with a political solution, because there isn’t a military solution.  And if disorder is allowed to continue to grow, it is extremists who will benefit, and it’s all the people who want a peaceful solution and stability who will lose.  And that includes Russia, the United States, and others in the region.  That’s why it is so compelling for us to move now while we can, while there are still institutions of the state of Syria, to hold those institutions together and try to find this peaceful solution.

Now, let me be crystal clear about something.  Iran is currently a major actor with respect to adverse consequences in Syria.  Iran is supporting another terrorist-designated organization called Hezbollah, and they are supporting Hezbollah to come out of Lebanon, across cross the border, into Syria, and to be a fundamental basic fighter.  No other country, no other nation has its people on the ground fighting in the way that they are and that they are supporting.  So this is a fundamental contest with respect to what has to be resolved in Geneva.

Now, I want to make one other thing very, very clear.  Iran’s participation or non-participation is not a question of ideology.  It is a question of practicality and common sense.  Lakhdar Brahimi stood here a moment ago and said this conference is for the purpose of putting in place the Geneva I communique.  Minister Lavrov confirmed that’s why we’re here.  We’ve confirmed that’s why we’re here.  We agree on that.  But Iran has yet to state whether or not it supports implementing the Geneva I communique, which calls for nothing more than the mutual consent of the parties to a transitional governing process to make peace.

Iran – we would welcome Iran’s participation if Iran is coming to participate for the purposes of the conference.  That is not a matter of ideology.  That is a matter of practicality and common sense.  If they’re going to participate in order to further the goals of the conference, they would be welcome.  And we’ve asked them several times to simply state their support for the concept of mutual consent with respect to the outcome of this conference.  So there’s a simple road ahead, and we would welcome that road.  And we ask Iran – I invite Iran today to join the community of nations, the 30 nations that are already prepared to come, and be a constructive partner for peace.  That’s the invitation.

Now, with respect to the question that – asked by Karen about a ceasefire, it’s complicated.  Of course it’s complicated.  But the opposition, the moderate opposition, has agreed they will enforce a ceasefire.  They will adhere to a ceasefire.  And there are very few of the other groups in a place like Aleppo right now.  So we believe that you could actually achieve a step forward that would provide an ability to be able to build on it.  You have to build these confidence-building measures.  And frankly, you have to begin a process that will begin to isolate the bad actors.  It’s not going to happen overnight.  It’s going to take time.  And ultimately, if they insist on their extremist approach, it may even take confrontation. 

Our hope would be that that confrontation would be the consequence of a peaceful resolution, a peaceful outcome in Syria that provides a government that all of us could support.  And when we do support it, that will give us the ability to be able to deal with those extremists who lie outside entirely of any process of rule of law, any process of decency, any process that actually seeks a legitimate solution decided not by them and their guns and their weapons and their terror and their intimidation, but decided by all the people of Syria through a legitimate process.  That’s what’s at stake here, and that’s what we’re fighting for together to achieve through the Geneva process.

MODERATOR:  (Via interpreter)  Final question, (inaudible) of the Echo of Moscow radio station.

QUESTION:  (Via interpreter)  I’m sorry, Mr. Brahimi – do I understand you correctly that Iran has already received an invitation to take part in the conference?  And if yes, do I understand it correctly that nonetheless, this invitation requires a confirmation on part of the U.S. and Russia and it’s not a final one?  At least, that’s what I understood from what you said.  Could you please specify?

State Secretary Kerry, you’ve said that an invitation to Iran should be pragmatic one, that it should be a pragmatic decision.  What else Iran should do for the United States to confirm this invitation in a pragmatic manner where Mr. Rouhani just has to say, “Yes, we’re going there,” and then you’ll welcome them? 

And the last question:  You are standing, Mr. Secretary, before the Russian flag, and Minister Lavrov is standing next to the U.S. flag.  You presented Mr. Lavrov with potatoes from Idaho.  It is a symbolic gift?  What does it mean?  And how, Mr. Lavrov, you are going to use it in the settlement in Syria? 

SECRETARY KERRY:  Well, he told me he’s not going to make vodka.  He’s going to eat them. 

Look, let me just say on Iran:  I think --

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV:  In Poland, they make vodka from potatoes.  I know this.  But that’s in Poland.

SECRETARY KERRY:  Do you want --

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV:  We used to do this in the Soviet Union.  Now we try to do it from wheat. 

SECRETARY KERRY:  Can I – sorry, go ahead.

MR. BRAHIMI:  On Iran, yes, you are right.  As I said, there are two initiating states and a convener.  And we have been working together from the day John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov, on the 7th of May in Moscow, called for this conference to convene.  And that discussion is still going on.  We have still few days, and definitely we need an agreement, all three of us, on the – on who is going to be invited or who is not going to be invited to the conference.

SECRETARY KERRY:  Let me just say very quickly on Iran:  I think I answered the question before, where I said Iran needs to let the UN know, and let us know that it’s coming in furtherance of the goals of the Geneva I, just like the rest of us are.  Just tell us that they support the idea of a mutual consent being the guideline for a transition government so that we can resolve this crisis.  That’s the purpose of the Geneva I communique.  And we would hope Iran would be willing to do that and be constructive in this.  Because obviously, a country that has IRGC personnel on the ground, training in the country, a country that is supporting this other organization, Hezbollah, a country that has had a long-term relationship with Assad and with Syria, has a huge ability to be able to have an impact if they want to have the right impact.  And the right impact, it has been decided by many nations, is to implement the Geneva I communique.

With respect to the potatoes, I really want to clarify:  There’s no hidden meaning.  There’s no metaphor.  There’s no symbolic anything.  We were having a good conversation in the course of the Christmas break over the subject of Idaho, which was where I was at the time, and he recalled the Idaho potatoes as being something that he knew of, so I thought I would surprise him and bring him some good Idaho potatoes.  And that’s the full symbol of the whole thing.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV:  (Via interpreter)   Once again, a couple words on Iran:  I do not renounce what I’ve just said.  I’m convinced that practicality and pragmatism John has been speaking of required that Iran be invited.  After all, the invitation states that the conference is convened with the view to furthering and carrying out the Geneva communique.  Therefore, consenting to go to the conference means that the condition John lays down has been required.  The need to – well, if this principle that everyone who is invited should say that they fully support the communique – well, I don’t think all the countries would agree to that because there are certain countries invited to the conference and – who do not want the conference to succeed.  There are some who regret that no strikes were performed against Syria.  I believe that practicality means not isolation, but engagement. 

And regarding potatoes:

(In English.)  The specific potato which John handed to me has the shape which makes it possible to insert potato in the carrot-and-stick expression.  (Laughter.)  So it could be used differently.  (Laughter.)

Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY:  Thank you all.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MAKE REMARKS AFTER MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Joint Press Availability With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Bali, Indonesia
October 6, 2013

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning, everybody. I want to thank Foreign Minister Lavrov for joining me here today to sign this important agreement. Amending the NRRC agreement is another important step towards reducing risks associated with nuclear weapons, and I think both of us are cognizant of the fact that 26 years ago our predecessors from the United States and the former Soviet Union, Secretary of State George Shultz and Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze signed the original NRRC agreement which established centers in Moscow and in Washington through which our nations were able to communicate with each other the details of our compliance with arms control treaties.

The Cold War is now long over, but thousands of nuclear weapons remain, and we both recognize a responsibility to do everything possible to keep each other appraised of important developments in order to avoid misunderstandings and potentially catastrophic consequences. I might remark that, for instance, after 2001, September 11th, we were quickly in touch with each other through this center as we took our armed forces to the highest level of alert in order to communicate immediately and directly so there could be no misunderstanding about what was taking place. In addition, on at least 13 different conventional and other kinds of treaties between us since then, this center has now become a critical component in helping us to apply the rules, live by the rules, and understand what we’re both doing.

This amended agreement better enables us to do those things. By upgrading the centers, it provides vital support for our strategic and our conventional arms treaties and agreements, like the New START Treaty, which I was privileged to help take through ratification in the Senate just a couple of years ago.

Regarding our meeting today, I would characterize the meeting as really one of the most productive that we have had since our meetings in Geneva, which were obviously productive. And I think Sergey and I talked at great length about Syria. Since the binding resolution was passed in New York, which will eliminate the weapons – the chemical weapons in Syria, we have continued to take very important steps. And I want to thank Sergey for the cooperation Russia has provided in this. It’s been very important. I think it’s an important part of our relationship. And it’s not insignificant that within days of the passing of this resolution in New York inspectors are in Syria, they are on the ground, and now they are already proceeding to the destruction of chemical weapons. That actually began yesterday. There are missile warheads and other instruments that were destroyed yesterday, so the process has become – begun in record time, and we are appreciative for the Russian cooperation, as well as obviously for the Syrian compliance to this date.

We also strongly supported the recent United Nations Security Council statement urging unhindered access to enable humanitarian aid providers to immediately reach parts of the country where the need is most urgent. We talked about that a little bit, and our Russian friends are engaged in almost daily interventions in an effort to move the Syrian regime to comply. And obviously we want to get that aid to the places where the need is much urgent and we want to get there are rapidly as possible. As the world’s largest provider of humanitarian assistance of aid to Syria, the United States applauds the Council for rapidly taking this up and for shining a light on this appalling situation.

Finally, Foreign Minister Lavrov and I discussed our mutual goal, which we are extraordinarily focused on, of ending the war in Syria through a political transition to a more broadly acceptable democratic government, under the terms of the Geneva communique. We agreed, again, that there is no military solution here. We share an interest in not having radical extremists on either side of any kind assuming a greater status or position in Syria. And that is why we recommitted today with very specific efforts to move the Geneva process as rapidly as possible. We are going to both engage with Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and lay the groundwork for a round of talks. It is our mutual hope that that can happen in November. And we are both intent and determined in consultation with our friends in these efforts to try to make certain that this can happen in November. A final date and the terms of participation will have to be determined by the United Nations, but we had a very constructive discussion about the path to getting there and we are both committed to leave here with a determination to begin that process, because we both believe – both countries believe, our leaders believe, President Putin and President Obama – that nothing is served by the prolongation of the violence in Syria. The humanitarian catastrophe is overwhelming the region, and we have a significant responsibility to try to address it. Thank you.

Sergey.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: Thank you, John. And gentlemen for the benefit of the Russian journalists I will speak in Russian, with your permission.

(Via interpreter) Dear ladies and gentlemen, since John Kerry entered into office as Secretary of State this February, we met 11 times. And our meetings in Geneva and New York are counting, but we have met quite a lot of time also.

Today, we have signed an agreement about the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers. These centers are functioning since 1987, but it’s high time to adapt them to new realities with our joint effort. And, of course, these centers are very important to ensure all directions of our joint work to ensure the confidence and such agreements as START agreements, the Vienna agreements, as well as the agreements on Open Skies. And I would like also to say that three weeks ago, there was signs and another important agreement about a scientific cooperation in nuclear energy field.

So this agreement was prepared specially for the Russian-American summit in Moscow that was planned for the 4th of September and which unfortunately didn’t take place. But anyway, this intense cooperation of signing agreements shows that there is no pause in our bilateral relations and there can’t be any one.

In the landlines of our attention was Syria today. Ten days ago, by our joint efforts and with the help of the Security Council of the United Nations, we could work out important decisions. There was also a resolution adopted on the document of – in the framework of the OPCW about the liquidation and elimination of chemical weapons. This is already taking place. The decisions are being fulfilled, and the elimination has started. And during all these weeks up to joining – after Syria joined the document on the elimination of chemical weapons, Damascus is working jointly with – to work on these decisions. And we hope that it will take effect soon. I hope that it will be happening in the future as that. And of course, this bears all the attention and all the necessary responsibility on – not only for this responsibility on the Syrian Government, but also on the opposition and all the states in this sphere should, of course, not let these weapons to fall into the hands of non-state subjects.

And looking into – while the concerns of chemical weapons, we haven’t forgotten other important goals. Of course, the humanitarian situation is very important for us, as well as the situation with the refugees in this country. And of course, we welcomed the Security Council announcement about the goals before the international community to help with the humanitarian situation in this country. Of course, this situation is quite complicated also because the opposition is – of course, important for the opposition to take a part in this process. And I’m convinced that with due cooperation with the United Nations, with the Red Cross, there will be a possibility to get to the places, the necessary places, the humanitarian help such needed in this country.

Of course, we looked into the political settlement, which is much needed in Syria. We also would like to say that we are very concerned and we would like it to take place, the conference on political settlement, in mid-November, as well as the Syrian Government said about its readiness for that. And we also agreed that the government would come with – completely prepared to fulfill all the commitments taken to join this international conference. And I would like to reiterate the government and the opposition to be ready for such a conference. And, of course, the composition which is completely for such an event with the participation of the Special Envoy Brahimi for such an event is very important also. And of course, the main important – the most important thing is for the long-term settlement is for the Syrians themselves to agree on it and all the other participants to fully help in such result.

We also have exchanged opinion on the settlement of the Iranian nuclear program. And we consider that such a positive situation, such a positive signal with the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, which also have met on the General – on the sidelines of General Assembly will materialize in concrete affairs for the course of these actions.

We have also expressed our – of course, our help, our support for achieving for Israelis and the Palestinians to settle their affairs. And of course, thanks to the efforts of John Kerry and the international mediators help, we consider that that could bear fruit.

We have also agreed on many issues of bilateral agenda, and we consider with – that with due efforts we could eliminate all the irritators that are in the bilateral – in the general of our bilateral relations. And I’m sure that if we are guided by the principles of equality, of non-interference in our internal affairs, and consideration of interests of each others, our countries would progress in the field of cooperation for the benefit of Russia and the United States and the whole world.

SECRETARY KERRY: We’re happy to take a few questions.

MS. PSAKI: The first question will be from Lesley Wroughton of Reuters.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. You’ve spoken today of a positive meeting on Syria. Do you believe that the elimination of the chemical weapons is going well? Do you expect it to be completed within a certain time? And how close to you – are you on actually setting a date for the peace talks for Geneva 2? Is there ever – is that ever going to happen? We’ve heard about this a long time?

And to the Minister, what have you done to convince Assad to come to the peace talks? Have you actually convinced him to do that – and the – of moving into a transitional government?

And for Secretary Kerry, there has been a complaint from Libya regarding the operation by U.S. military forces, which has provoked a complaint that Mr. al-Libi was kidnapped. Did you give them advance notice of what – of the operation? And number two, what perception do you think this leaves the world when people are snatched off the street of foreign countries by the U.S. military?

SECRETARY KERRY: So let me be crystal clear. The – we’re very pleased with the pace of what has happened with respect to chemical weapons. In a record amount of time, the United Nations Security Council has embraced a unique approach in a joint effort with the OPCW, the Office for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons. That’s never happened before. They agreed within a record period of time to follow the framework that Minister Lavrov and I negotiated in Geneva, and they put it into place both in The Hague as well as at the United Nations. I think that was a terrific example of global cooperation, of multilateral efforts, to accomplish an accepted goal.

And they have moved with equal speed to get on the ground in Syria and begin the operations. I think it is extremely significant that yesterday, Sunday, within a week of the resolution being passed, some chemical weapons were already being destroyed. I think it’s also credit to the Assad regime for complying rapidly, as they are supposed to. Now, we hope that will continue. I’m not going to vouch today for what happens months down the road, but it’s a good beginning, and we should welcome a good beginning.

I don't know if you’re planning to do the translation? Are we? All right. Please.

And in a world that needs to see government working effectively and that needs to see multilateral institutions serving their purposes, I think this a very important beginning.

With respect to setting a date, neither Minister Lavrov nor I are supposed to set a date. That date has to be set by the United Nations and by Special Envoy Brahimi and the Secretary General. We both agreed that we have some homework to do in preparation, but we are also agreed that we will meet with Lakhdar Brahimi, and we will urge that a specific date be set within the framework that the Envoy has already set, which is somewhere in the second week of November or so. And we will urge a date to be set as soon as possible.

With respect to Abu Anas al-Libi, he is a key al-Qaida figure and he is a legal and an appropriate target for the U.S. military under the Authorization of the Use of Military Force passed in September of 2001. And of course, we regularly consult with our friends in the region; we consult regularly with the Libyan Government on a range of security and counterterrorism issues. But we don’t get into the specifics of our communications with a foreign government or in any kind of operation of this kind.

Finally, I’d just say that with respect to the perception, I hope the perception is in the world that people who commit acts of terror and who have been appropriately indicted by courts of law, by the legal process, will know that the United States of America is going to do everything in its power that is legal and appropriate in order to enforce the law and protect our security. Abu Anas al-Libi was indicted in the southern district of New York in connection with his role in al-Qaida’s conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, to conduct attacks against interests worldwide, which included al-Qaida plots to attack forces in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, as well as attacking the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya.

So an indictment is an accusation. In our legal system, a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But he will now have an opportunity to defend himself and to be appropriately brought to justice in a court of law. And I think it’s important for people in the world not to sympathize with alleged terrorists but to underscore the importance of rule of law. And that is the perception that we believe is the important one for people to understand.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: (Via interpreter) Concerning our stance about the process of chemical weapons eliminations, we’re satisfied with such a process. We have no grounds to consider that the cooperation that is doing the Syrian Government to fulfill, perfectly, this – that these concerns is – will change anyhow. And the Russian part will do everything so that Damascus will follow the cooperation without any changes.

But there is another thing that concerns us, and we have grounds to suspect that the extremist groups are trying to undermine such a process. And we hope that the resolution of the Security Council, which was adopted 10 days ago, will be fulfilled by all the parties, as well as the countries which are neighbors of Syria, and so to fulfill the requirements of the Security Council not to fall the chemical weapons and the chemical elements into the hands of non-state subjects, as well as the territories for the work of – the territories of this country for the work of terrorists.

And in general, we would like to reiterate – and today we’ve talked about – that we are going to do everything so to completely find the terrorists and extremists element in this country. And it’s our own task and the task of everybody who want this country to be multiconfessional, secular, and to be in peace.

About the terms and the dates of the conference, John already said that we are not to establish this date. And we know the position of Damascus, and from the point of view of the government of Damascus that conference could already be established many months ago.

And we shouldn’t do anything so the delegation from Syrian Government would go there. They already said about their efforts and about their intentions to go there. Already although some of them, they went in Geneva, were adopted of the joint – the joint resolutions of American and Russians.

And we shouldn’t do anything, and we’d like – we have to do everything so that the opposition will also come and agree to come without any preliminary conditions. The important steps that they should do is to fulfill the Geneva communique, which was adopted on the 30 of May last year.

And we also talked about it with John Kerry. We would like to support all the efforts to form the delegation of the oppositions, will be a representative in all its sense. And we also would like so the National Coalition would speak with one voice, because some days ago the leaders said that – they announced that they are ready to go there, but then their partners say that they are really not ready.

And I would like to reiterate that we have a common understanding with our American colleagues that there should be synchronized and coordinated efforts to convene a conference, which would be represented by all parties with the help of important international players.

MODERATOR: (In Russian.)

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Oleg Velano from Interfax Agency. The last question – that recently the Chief of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran said that the decisions of the Group of Six is already on the table. How could you comment that in – take into account the planned new round of the Group of Six meeting?

And another question is to John Kerry, that there – Iran and the United States are getting quite close each time. And there are some – will there be any changes in relation to the missile defense in Europe? Because the threat of Iran – of a nuclear threat from Iran was the main reason of the deployment of that missile defense.

SECRETARY KERRY: Was the question on the Group of Six to Sergey or to me?

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: If I understood the question right, the question was about yesterday’s statement of Minister Zarif that Iran expects new proposals from the 3+3, not that the old proposal is on the table. And my understanding of this statement of Minister Zarif is that we discussed in New York – six ministers of the 3+3 group, plus Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Mr. Zarif – and we discussed the need to have a roadmap which would, at the end of the day, satisfy the international community that the Iranian nuclear program is entirely peaceful and that this program is pulled under total and strict control of the International Atomic Energy Agency. And when this is achieved, Iran wants all sanctions to be lifted.

I don’t think that this is contradictory to what the 3+3 has been doing all these years. Iran probably wants more clarity, more specific steps to be spelled out on the road to the result which we all want to achieve. And I think this would be discussed next week in Geneva, a meeting to which Iran agreed, and to which Iran and 3+3 are getting ready in a very constructive mood, as our contacts in New York showed.

SECRETARY KERRY: No translation?

INTERPRETER: No translation, Mr. Kerry.

SECRETARY KERRY: Another (inaudible) please. Does she understand English?

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: Yeah, she does.

SECRETARY KERRY: Okay. Gotcha.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: And French. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY KERRY: What else can you tell us, Sergey? (Laughter.)

On Iran, the Group of Six put a proposal on the table in Almaty, and I don’t believe that, as of yet, Iran has fully responded to that particular proposal. So I think we’re waiting for the fullness of the Iranian difference in their approach now. But we’re encouraged by the statements that were made in New York, and we’re encouraged by the outreach.

But as the President – as President Obama has said, and I think other the members of the P-5+1 agree, it’s not words that will make the difference. It’s actions that will make the difference. So what we need are a set of proposals from Iran that fully disclose how they will show the world that their program is peaceful. And we have made it clear that if there are those indicators, the United States and our allies are absolutely prepared to move in appropriate ways to meet their actions. So we still have to wait and see where that comes out.

With respect to the part of your question about Iran and the U.S. getting close, I would just say to you that the talk of these first days and the exchanges of a couple of meetings and a phone call do not indicate a closeness. They indicate an opportunity. They indicate the opening of a door or a window to some discussion. We’re very anxious to have that discussion, but it’s way too premature to make any determinations about where we would wind up with respect to the deployment of the missile defense, which you’re right, was predicated on that threat. But as long as that threat is there, we still have to deal with that issue.

Now, that said, the Foreign Minister and I did discuss Iran and we discussed also the discussion that is underway between the United States and Russia on the subject of missile defense. And I think we’re in a place now where the next step in that discussion can take place, regardless of what happens with respect to Iran. And we look forward to having a good, continued discussion with Russia regarding mutual defense. We obviously would like to see something – we’d like to reach an understanding with Russia, and I think the Russians would like to reach an understanding with us. So that discussion will continue in the appropriate channels where it is currently located.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: And I would just like to add that, indeed, we have this appropriate channels activated, they never actually were frozen, and missile defense is one of the important items on our agenda. We should like to resolve in the way which would not create any suspicions regarding the strategic stability sustainability. And indeed, I (inaudible) of what John said now, that as long as the Iranian threat quote/unquote exists, the American plans remain. So I assume that if we manage to make sure that everyone agrees that the threat is not any longer there, then those plans might be reconsidered.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, that’s not exactly what I said, Sergey, but obviously we will respond to threats. And I think you know that we’re trying to work out a way for the missile defense system to meet your needs and our needs, and no matter what happens, we’ll pursue that discussion, and I think that’s a very important discussion.

Now obviously if the overall situation in the entire region changes, we’re open to a much more significant discussion.

MS. PSAKI: Thank you. Thanks, everyone.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all.

Friday, September 13, 2013

JOINT STATEMENT REGARDING SYRIAN TALKS FROM GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Joint Statements After Trilat
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and UN Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi
UN Offices
Geneva, Switzerland
September 13, 2013

SECRETARY KERRY: Let me just say to everybody that we will not – we will each make a very brief statement. We’ll not be taking questions at this time. And we apologize for that, but we need to get back to the conversations that we’re having on the issue of chemical weapons.

First of all, Foreign Minister Lavrov and I both want to thank Lakhdar Brahimi and the United Nations for their invitation to have a discussion today about the question of the Geneva 2 conference. As everybody knows, the principal reason that Foreign Minister Lavrov and I are here are to have discussions with respect to the initiative to gain control of and remove and destroy the chemical weapons in Syria. That is our principal mission here in Geneva. And I think we would both agree that we had constructive conversations regarding that, but those conversations are continuing and both of us want to get back to them now.

We came here this morning at the invitation of the Special Representative for the Geneva 2 and Syria negotiations in order to discuss where those negotiations are and how we can advance them. I will say on behalf of the United States that President Obama is deeply committed to a negotiated solution with respect to Syria, and we know that Russia is likewise. We are working hard to find the common ground to be able to make that happen and we discussed some of the homework that we both need to do. I’m not going to go into it in any detail today. We both agreed to do that homework and meet again in New York around the time of the UN General Assembly, around the 28th, in order to see if it is possible then to find a date for that conference, much of which will obviously depend on the capacity to have success here in the next day, hours, days, on the subject of the chemical weapons.

Both of us – Sergey Lavrov and I, our countries, our presidents – are deeply concerned about the death toll and destruction, the acts on both sides, all sides that are creating more and more refugees, more and more of the humanitarian catastrophe. And we are committed to try to work together, beginning with this initiative on the chemical weapons, in hopes that those efforts could pay off and bring peace and stability to a war-torn part of the world. And we’re very appreciative for Lakhdar Brahimi hosting us today in an effort to try to advance this initiative.

Sergey.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, we had a very useful meeting with Lakhdar Brahimi. As you know, as John said just now, we are here basically to discuss the issue of chemical weapons in Syria. Now that the Assad government joined the Chemical Weapons Convention, we have to engage our professionals together with the Chemical Weapons Prohibition Organization, as we agreed with the United Nations, to design a road which would make sure that this issue is resolved quickly, professionally, as soon as practical.

But we are very glad to Lakhdar Brahimi for inviting us on this occasion to discuss a longer-term goal for Syria, namely the preparation for the conference which is called Geneva 2. Russia, the Russian President from very beginning of the Syrian conflict, have been promoting a peaceful resolution. We have firmly supported the Arab League initiative, their being observers, and we supported Kofi Annan’s initiative, the UN observers, and we were one of the initiators of convening Geneva 1. Last year here, we adopted the Geneva communique, resolved major – almost all major players, including all P-5 countries for the region, Arab League, Turkey, European Union, United Nations. And it is very unfortunate that for a long period the Geneva communique was basically abandoned and we were not able to have endorsement of this very important document in the Security Council, as is as adopted.

Thanks to John, who after becoming Secretary of State in spite of his huge workload on Arab-Israeli conflict understood the importance of moving on Syria and doing something about this. And I am very grateful for him for coming to Moscow on May 7th this year when we launched the Russian-American initiative to convene a Geneva conference to implement fully the Geneva communique, which means that the Syrian parties must reach mutual consent on the transitional governing organ which would command full executive authority. And the communique also says that all groups of Syrian society must be represented.

And we discussed these aspects and other aspects of the preparatory work today with Lakhdar Brahimi and his team. We are very grateful to Lakhdar for his insight, for the suggestions which he made and which we will be entertaining as we move forward parallel with the work on chemical weapons. We agreed to meet in New York in the margins of the General Assembly and see where we are and what the Syrian parties think about it and do about it. And we hope that we will be able to be a bit more specific when we meet with you in New York.

SPECIAL ENVOY BRAHIMI: Thank you very much indeed, both of you, first of all, for coming to talk to us in the Palais de Nation in Geneva. We look forward to the work you are doing on chemical weapons in Syria. It is extremely important in itself and for itself, but it is also extremely important for us who are working with you on trying to bring together the Geneva 2 conference successfully.

Our discussions today, as you have both said now, have been useful. And we are not going to retain you much longer; you have other business to do. Thank you again very, very much indeed for being here.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thanks, Lakhdar.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir.

SPECIAL ENVOY BRAHIMI: Thank you very much.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

THE ARCTIC COUNCIL MINISTERIAL SESSION

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Remarks at the Arctic Council Ministerial Session
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Kiruna City Hall
Kiruna, Sweden
May 15, 2013
(Kiruna Declaration Signing takes place)

 

FOREIGN MINISTER BILDT:
And could I then – I think they are ready for the readout, for two or three questions, anyone here on Arctic Council issues. Then I think there is – that’s a microphone over there – and then I think there is a national leader opportunities of these four.

So please, if there is questions.

QUESTION: If I could ask Secretary Kerry and Minister Lavrov, you’ve spent a lot of time in the last few weeks and months working together on a variety of issues from Syria to the Arctic issues that you’ve discussed in the last two days. And yesterday, you had an American official from the Embassy in Moscow who was detained by the Russians and accused of espionage. Is that constructive to the kind of work, collaborative work, that you’re trying to do now? Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: (Off mike.) Testing – one, two, three, four, five. So for all of you who didn’t hear that answer, I have nothing to add with respect to the situation regarding an Embassy official in Moscow.

And I’m grateful to my friend Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Russia, for a very productive meeting yesterday in which we did the large business of our countries, which was facing first of all the challenge of Syria. We met at length. We both agreed that there is much work to be done. We understand what each of us has to do in the next days. We’re very optimistic that we can get that work done. We’ve both been in touch with the United Nations, with Ban Ki-moon, with other participants. Each of us has agreed to work very hard with respect to the flow of people that we are in touch with, the foreign ministers, the opposition, the Assad regime, others, in order to bring the parties to the table. And I think it’s fair to say that both of us are confident about the direction that we’re moving in and very, very hopeful that within in a short period of time the pieces will have come together fully so that the world, hopefully, will have an opportunity to be given an alternative to the violence and destruction that is taking place in Syria at this moment.

FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: Thank you. I can confirm that we had a very productive meeting yesterday. We did not discuss the incident to which you refer. Everything we should have to say – we, the Russian side – on that particular incident was stated yesterday by the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry. I have nothing to add.

As to the substance of our cooperative meeting yesterday, I would share the assessments just presented by John. We have a very clear initiative on the table. The Russian-American proposal to convene a conference to start implementing the Geneva communique of June last year – it’s self explanatory and what we need now is to mobilize support for this initiative on the basis of what was, I believe, in Geneva and what was proposed by Washington and Moscow – to mobilize support first of all by all the Syrian groups, the regime and all opposition groups; and second by those outside actors who have influence on either one or the other Syrian group.

That’s what we discussed. That’s what we will be doing in our conference with all outside players and with the Syrian, but especially in the expectation of the two events, which the opposition is holding one, a meeting by National Coalition in Istanbul. And about the same time there is – there will be a meeting in (inaudible) convened by the internal opposition, in particular by the National Coordinating Committee. It is very important that the participants of both meetings express their clear support for the Russian-American initiative to start implementing the Geneva communique. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: If I could just add, I want to emphasize the degree to which we both believe Russia and the United States share a belief that is extremely constructive and positive that we are working together cooperatively in an effort to try to implement a peaceful resolution based on Geneva I, which recognizes the need for a transition government with full executive authority by mutual consent. That’s what we’re working towards, and I don't think it’s insignificant that at this moment in time we are finding this common ground and working closer together.

FOREIGN MINISTER BILDT: Next question over there.

QUESTION: Hello. Yelena Chernenko, Kommerserant Daily Newspaper. As far as I understand, your ministers, all of the requests from the countries to become observer members have been accepted today. The question is, does such a high number of observers not make the Arctic Council less effective and is there a limit of how many observers in the future there might be in the Council, or it can it grow forever, the number of observers? Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER BILDT: That’s why we have also adopted (inaudible) the about the recent procedure earlier with some procedures, so there’s a very clear what observers are and what observers aren’t. That’s been the very purpose of that work that’s been done.

As to your question, I would say it demonstrates the broad international acceptance of the role of the Arctic Council, because by being observer, these organizations and states, they accept the principles and the sovereignty of the Arctic Council on Arctic issues. So I think it – as a matter of fact, it strengthens the position of the Arctic Council on the global scene. That is why this is, that we hope that the remaining issues that are indicated concerning (inaudible) is that that will be sorted out fairly quickly, and I trust that will be the case.

One there before we --

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what will be your priority when it comes to Arctic issues in the future?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I think it’s premature for me, prior to assuming the chairmanship, with my Canadian friend standing to the left of me, to start laying out the agenda. But as I said in my statement, the Arctic is a precious treasure for all of the world. And the United States recognizes that we are one of the two major contributors to global emissions. More than 50 percent of the world’s emissions come from two countries, China and the United States. And then there are 17 to 20 major emitters, as we know, some of whom are standing here and others are not, who are responsible for well over 90 percent. So you have small nations who are hugely impacted by the long-time development practices of other nations.

President Obama has twice now this year at significant events embraced the importance of dealing with climate change, once in his Inaugural Address, and second time in his State of the Union message. And we are looking at every single option available to us to act responsibly. But no one nation can solve this. The United States of America today is below Kyoto levels in emissions. People don’t know that. The United States today is actually below the Waxman-Markey legislation mandates that didn’t pass. So we’re doing things – automobile efficiency, standards, efficiencies, building codes, fleet purchase, all kinds of things, but not enough. No one is doing enough.

The problem is that everything that we do or everything one other nation does is going to be wiped out by China or another nation if they continue with coal firepower at the rate that we are proceeding. So the warning signals are all there, and I can assure that when our chairmanship time comes around we will pick up on Leona’s appropriate concern for indigenous populations and we will build on that with respect to the needs for all of us to do things that recognize the global impact on the ecosystem of what is happening in the Arctic.

FOREIGN MINISTER BILDT: Thanks and just two final remarks from my side. First that I do wish, on the issue that was mentioned earlier, that spirit of cooperation, of true Arctic cooperation of these few days, will continue to inspire U.S. to leading members of the UN Security Council when you proceed on your – on the enormously important issue of Syria.

Secondly, let me just on behalf of all us thank the city of Kiruna for having the your neighbors occupy this beautiful city hall and thank also the people of Kiruna and for your understanding that we might have messed up your town for a couple of days, but I hope that you accept that we’ve come here for not only one but for a couple of valuable purposes. Thanks very much. (Applause.)

Sunday, September 9, 2012

U.S.-RUSSIA SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR COOPERATION IN ANTARTICA

Map:  Antartica.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ANTARTICA

U.S.-Russia Cooperation on Antarctica, Interregional Areas, and Beringia

Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 8, 2012

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Vladivostok, Russia on September 8, 2012 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Antarctica and to issue Joint Statements on Pursuing a Transboundary Area of Shared Beringian Heritage and on Enhancing Interregional Cooperation. The United States and Russia conduct some of the most extensive and diverse scientific activities in Antarctica, and are among the original architects and signatories of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty.

Antarctic Cooperation
The Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Antarctica will:
Strengthen cooperation and significantly improve coordination of bilateral policies, science, logistics, search and rescue, training, and public outreach in Antarctica.
Reinforce cooperative activities already taking place. For the first time, the United States and Russia are jointly conducting inspections of foreign facilities in Antarctica, which will take place in two phases in 2012.

Interregional Cooperation
The Joint Statement on Interregional Cooperation will:
Encourage closer state and municipal ties, such as sister-city initiatives, with the goal of stimulating increased U.S.-Russia trade and investment links at the local level.
Facilitate exchanges on state and municipal governance, paying close attention to e-government issues as well as the development of projects, including infrastructure development, along with plans to exchange delegations from local governments.
Foster business ties between our two countries at the sub-national level, particularly between the Pacific Northwest and the Russian Far East, where investments like ExxonMobil’s on Sakhalin Island, as well as our increased U.S. agricultural exports, are already making headway in our economic relationship.

Beringia
The Joint Statement on Pursuing a Transboundary Area of Shared Beringian Heritage represents the first time the United States and Russia have stated their intention to formally link National Parks in Alaska - the Bering Land Bridge Natural Preserve and the Cape Krusenstern National Monument - with the soon-to-be-designated Beringia National Park in Chukhotka, Russia.

The linkage will:
Facilitate conservation of flora, fauna, and the natural ecosystem.
Preserve kinship ties, traditional lifestyle, and languages of the indigenous peoples of the region.
Enhance collaboration on conservation, management, scientific research, and effective monitoring of the environment.
Formalize the symbolic linkage of our two continents, governments, and people.

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