REMARKS AT PRESS GAGGLE BY AMBASSADOR RICE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at a Press Gaggle Outside the UN Security Council Stakeout
Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NYApril 13, 2012
AS DELIVERED
Ambassador Rice: Long day. Many issues. As you know, we intend to come back together tomorrow at 11 o’clock with the aim of trying to vote a text, provided that we have instructions from everybody that enable us to do so. We’re working on North Korea and other issues simultaneously. We’ll keep you updated on that as and when we can. Other than that, I really don’t have much to share.
Reporter: Is there a new text on Syria?
Ambassador Rice: There’s a revised draft of the text that was put first in blue based on the negotiations that is being referred back to capitals for instruction.

Reporter: Amb. Churkin said he wasn’t entirely satisfied with today’s discussions. Are you worried there will be a lack of consensus tomorrow?
Ambassador Rice: I don’t want to predict. We’ve been to this movie so many times, let’s not--it would be wise---
Reporter: But we also know how this movie ends.
Ambassador Rice: It would be wise not to make predictions.
Reporter: Is there a draft of [inaudible] North Korea?
Ambassador Rice: Not yet. Not at 15.
Reporter: But would tomorrow just be to vote or will you also be potentially discussing North Korea more?
Ambassador Rice: These are moving at different paces. They’re on different tracks but they’re on simultaneous tracks. So I don’t want to predict too much.
Reporter: Is the format for North Korea sorted?
Ambassador Rice: Again, I don’t have anything more than I said earlier on that.
Reporter: Press statement?
Ambassador Rice: I will repeat what I said this morning and what I just said here which is that I’m not prepared to predict anything on substance or form.
Reporter: What was the change in the new text?
Ambassador Rice: There are many. We were in there for a long time. We’ll see. It’ll come out in blue.
Reporter: How would you describe the negotiations?
Ambassador Rice: They were serious. And, you know, as they often there, sometimes humor, sometimes contention, but I think everybody was trying to roll up their sleeves and deal with this responsibly.
Reporter: What about South Sudan not leaving Heglig?
Ambassador Rice: That is not good. They need to go.