09 December 2002
Armitage Says Diplomacy Has Time to Work with North Korea
(Deputy secretary of state's remarks in Tokyo December 9) (1310)
There is time for diplomacy to do its work in the effort to
denuclearize North Korea, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage
said in Japan.
In remarks to reporters December 9 in Tokyo, Armitage said: "I think
the American stance toward North Korea is completely in line with our
friends and allies in this region. We feel we have time for diplomacy
to work. We've got a nation, North Korea, surrounded by the Republic
of Korea, Russia, China, Japan, and for that matter the United States;
we're all united in our view that the peninsula has to be
denuclearized. And that's a pretty good basis on which to move forward
for a political solution -- a diplomatic solution -- and that's where
we're about now."
Armitage was in Tokyo for meetings with Foreign Minister Yoriko
Kawaguchi and other Japanese officials. Discussions focused on North
Korea's nuclear weapons program and "the latest U.S. thinking on
Iraq."
When asked about the purpose of U.S. military training exercises
underway in the Persian Gulf, Armitage said: "The only thing Saddam
Hussein responds to is pressure. It has been pressure that has made
him be as limited and forthcoming as he has been. So, I think that
pressure needs to continue, and that's we're seeing in the Middle East
and in these exercises."
The deputy secretary was scheduled to travel to South Korea after
meetings with the secretaries general of the Japanese coalition
parties.
Following is a transcript of Deputy Secretary of State Richard
Armitage December 9 in Tokyo:
(begin transcript)
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage
Remarks to Journalists at the Foreign Ministry Building
December 9, 2002
Tokyo, Japan
11:35 a.m. local time
[In Reception Lobby]
D/S ARMITAGE: Can I make a comment and then I'll answer questions? Is
that all right?
QUESTION: Yes.
D/S ARMITAGE: I've just come from a 70-minute meeting with Foreign
Minister Kawaguchi and her colleagues. We covered the latest U.S.
thinking on Iraq -- President Bush has asked me to explain to our
closest ally where we are on the question of Iraq. I was also able to
discuss at length with the Foreign Minister the question of North
Korea. She made very clear her government's views on the question of
Okinawa and on the question of the abductees and Sergeant Jenkins. I
was able to again express appreciation for the Japanese decision to
dispatch Aegis to the Indian Ocean. And I was able to talk with
admiration about the activities with the Government of Japan in
supporting peace in Sri Lanka and Aceh and the Middle East. So, I'll
stop there and try to answer a question or two for you.
QUESTION: Where are you headed for from here sir?
D/S ARMITAGE: Right now, I'm going to a meeting with Vice Foreign
Minister Takeuchi. Later this afternoon I'll go to the Defense Agency
to meet with the new director general of the JDA. Tomorrow, on to
Seoul -- after having breakfast with the secretaries general of the
coalition parties.
QUESTION: I see. What point did you make on Korea?
D/S ARMITAGE: Well, on Korea we made the point that we have patience
and time for diplomacy to work, particularly as Japan, South Korea,
China, Russia, the IAEA, the EU, and everyone shares a similar view as
do we on the need for a denuclearized peninsula of Korea. So, we're
going to give time for diplomacy to work.
QUESTION: And on the question of Iraq?
D/S ARMITAGE: Pardon me?
QUESTION: On the question of Iraq?
D/S ARMITAGE: On the question of Iraq, I spoke about what we knew of
the disposition of the declaration, and talked about our views of
where we were and how likely Saddam Hussein was to disarm. It is very
well known here that our view is that Saddam Hussein has a chance to
disarm and we can have peace, or he will be disarmed. I think there's
no question to the Japanese government that that continues to be the
case. And the point I wanted to make was how necessary it was for us
to be seen, in fact and in deed, to be sharing all our information
with our colleagues in Japan.
QUESTION: Did you discuss Mr. Jenkins in North Korea?
D/S ARMITAGE: We discussed this briefly. I had covered this also
earlier, this morning, and I have undertaken on behalf of the US
government to continue to study this question assiduously.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, on Iraq again, do you have a good expectation
that Japan will express support for future course of action by the
United States?
D/S ARMITAGE: I have an absolute expectation that Japan will make
decisions in accordance with their national interest, and that's all
I'll say. I thank you all very much.
[Outside door of Foreign Ministry]
D/S ARMITAGE: I've just come from a 70-minute meeting with Foreign
Minister Kawaguchi and her colleagues. The President of the United
States has asked me to explain to our Japanese friends our latest
thinking on Iraq. We also talked about North Korea. Mrs. Kawaguchi
made it very clear the importance of several items concerning Okinawa
and on the question of Sergeant Jenkins. I was able to, again, express
appreciation for the Japanese decision to dispatch Aegis to the Indian
Ocean, as well as to speak with some admiration of the activities of
Japan to search for peace in Aceh, search for peace in Sri Lanka,
assisted quartet efforts in the middle east, to search for peace
there.
QUESTION: Sir, do you think the Iraqi documents are credible?
D/S ARMITAGE: Well, I haven't seen the Iraqi documents. There are
certainly a lot of them, and I'd say they're heavy right now because
there are so many, but I don't think we've done the analysis. It'll
have to await the analysis before I can speak.
QUESTION: Do you think it's basically a job to be done by the United
States or the United Nations -- evaluating the documents, I mean?
D/S ARMITAGE: Well, I think the resolution is quite clear. Mr. Blix
and Mr. Al Baradei have their own responsibilities to this matter.
Clearly the perm five members of the Security Council and the elected
ten, according to the resolution, should be provided those documents,
and they'll make their own evaluation as well.
QUESTION: And what about North Korea? Do you think that the Americans'
stand toward it as tough as towards Iraq?
D/S ARMITAGE: I think the American stance toward North Korea is
completely in-line with our friends and allies in this region. We feel
we have time for diplomacy to work. We've got a nation, North Korea,
surrounded by the Republic of Korea, Russia, China, Japan, and for
that matter the United States; we're all united in our view that the
peninsula has to be denuclearized. And that's a pretty good basis on
which to move forward for a political solution -- a diplomatic
solution -- and that's where we're about now. But thank you all very
much.
QUESTION: Excuse me, just one question.
D/S ARMITAGE: Yeah.
QUESTION: How about the Jenkins' case?
D/S ARMITAGE: I informed the Foreign Minister that I understood her
position, and that we would engage to study the Jenkins case
assiduously.
QUESTION: Thank you.
[In front of car]
QUESTION: Did you talk about a possible war scenario?
D/S ARMITAGE: I did not talk about a war scenario.
QUESTION: The American presence-current military training in the Gulf
now-is it necessary technically for attacking Iraq, or is it to put
pressure on Iraq?
D/S ARMITAGE: Well clearly, right now, the only thing Saddam Hussein
responds to is pressure. It has been pressure that has made him be as
limited and forthcoming as he has been. So, I think that pressure
needs to continue, and that's we're seeing in the Middle East and in
these exercises.
QUESTION: Thank you very much.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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