23 July 1998
TRANSCRIPT: AMB. MILLER REMARKS TO PRESS ON ARRIVAL ON CYPRUS 7/23
(Trip underscores U.S. commitment to solving Cyprus problem) (4370) Larnaca Airport, Cyprus -- Special Cyprus Coordinator Thomas Miller told the press immediately upon arriving on Cyprus July 23 that the only way the "U.S. government knows that we can make progress on the Cyprus problem is through direct negotiations" and while there may be many ways of communicating between them, "when there is a problem, you have to have the two sides ready to engage with each other." Miller stressed the U.S. commitment to work with the United Nations, the international community, and representatives of the two sides, the Turkish Cypriot side and the government of Cyprus side, in an effort to resolve the Cyprus problem. Reporters asked if Special Presidential Envoy Richard Holbrooke is still involved with the Cyprus question. Miller assured them that he is, adding, "He still is very involved in Cyprus and things related to Cyprus, and I think even in the new UN job [President Clinton has nominated Holbrooke U.S. Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations], regardless of what his status may or may not be, which I am really not at liberty to speak about, after he takes over as UN Ambassador, he will be involved in matters relating to Cyprus." Ambassador Miller also fielded questions about the S-300 missiles and the "no-fly zone" proposal for the Aegean. Following is a transcript of his remarks: (Begin transcript) PRESS CONFERENCE WITH SCC MILLER UPON HIS ARRIVAL AT LARNACA AIRPORT - THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1998 AMB. MILLER: I am delighted to be back here in Cyprus. I stopped counting what number trip this is, but I was last here at the end of May, and it's good to be back, as I was telling my friend here. It's hot here, but the weather in Washington is much worse than it is here. So, I am glad to come to cool Cyprus and if that wasn't an advertisement for your tourism industry, I am happy to make it. I've come here, as in the past, as part of our search for a solution to the Cyprus problem. That's what we are all about; that's what we are trying to do. I look forward over the course of the next couple of days to having discussions with the leaders on both sides in the island. I'll then go on to Greece and have discussions in Greece. I am not going to be going to Turkey on this trip. I'll be going to Turkey in the next couple of weeks for discussions with the leadership in Turkey as well. I don't have any startling new announcements to make. I know your first question is going to be "what kind of proposals do you bring," et cetera, et cetera. I always bring ideas. I prefer to keep my ideas within the realm of our closed discussions because I know you all appreciate, and here goes my standard line again, if we are going to have any progress, there have got to be discussions that are conducted in closed sessions and not before the cameras of the world. I will reiterate what I said when I was here in late May, when I gave that speech at the Hilton at the Economist Conference, that the only way that I know, and the only way that Ambassador Holbrooke and the only way the U.S. government knows that we can make progress on the Cyprus problem is through direct negotiations. Now, again, there are all kinds of play in there, but when there is a problem, you have to have the two sides ready to engage with each other. We are eager to work with the UN, with the international community. I remain in very close contact with Sir David [Hannay], who I know was just here, and I've had a full report on his visit. We stay in close contact with UN officials. I've met the new Chief of Mission of the UN Ann Hercus on her way out here. I look forward to seeing her again in my visit as well, and I also look very much forward in seeing the business leaders on both sides of the island. I've said it before and I'll say it again: It is time to resolve the Cyprus problem. I know of the difficulties, I know them only too well. I had a lot of conversations with Secretary Albright late last week about all the difficulties. It's not going to get any easier, and I look forward to discussions here in the next couple of days. I am on a full schedule, and it's good to see you all again. Let me take your questions now. REPORTER: Sir, in your interview in KATHIMERINI there was talk of specific ideas concerning the issue of the S-300s. Are we right to assume that the ideas you bring is something above the moratorium and below a guaranteed no-fly zone? AMB. MILLER: Let me answer that question in two ways: First of all, as you've noticed, I didn't say anything about missiles and moratorium in my opening statement because I knew that would be your first question. And you haven't disappointed me again. That clearly is a subject that will be of discussion. But, I think that subject also takes away from a bigger issue, which is the Cyprus problem. And I think it's very important to focus on the bigger issue. Now, what specific kind of ideas I have, I think that I'll take up with the leadership in our private discussions. REPORTER: Sir, concerning the tension [between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities], without asking you to share with us what you are going to discuss with President Clerides and Mr. Denktash, there are two approaches: the first is just to tackle the problem of the S-300s now, and the second is to tackle the problem within the framework of a general demilitarization of Cyprus. What do you believe that would be the best approach? AMB. MILLER: Well, my answer to your question, my answer to any question when someone says there are two approaches, or three approaches or five approaches is very simple: You use the approach that works. On the subject of demilitarization, which we've talked about many times with the government of Cyprus, my government is in favor of demilitarization. There's no question about it. A demilitarization proposal that takes into account the security concerns of all people of Cyprus, and, you know, if that's something that can be useful, we will surely be interested in it. REPORTER: Do you think that starting a dialogue on this issue, the complete demilitarization of Cyprus, may lead to the solution of other problems such as the S-300s and tensions? AMB. MILLER: Well, again I will get back to my comment. Anything that works, I'm interested in. REPORTER: You said you'll be going to Greece, but not to Turkey. Could you tell us why? AMB. MILLER: Yeah. The people that I wanted to see in Turkey were not available today, you know, to see me next week. So, we decided that rather than seeing others that I would visit Turkey in the next couple of weeks. REPORTER: What's your comment, Mr. Miller, about the statement made by White House spokesman Mike McCurry? Is the Cyprus problem a "conflict" or an "invasion"? AMB. MILLER: This is kind of what I would call part of the game of "Washington gotcha." G-O-T-C-H-A. Washington gotcha. This is a new word that I am quoting here. Just like when I used "sledgehammer" diplomacy a year ago, and you guys picked up on it. I am not going to get into phraseology and what specific term one uses, whether it's a conflict or an invasion or this or that because all that does is it gets away from what we are really trying to do. It's a game that -- I'll be very honest with you -- is played in the press. I am just not going to get into it. REPORTER: But, on the other hand, if I may, there have been statements from Washington in the last two months that have created a lot of resentment in Cyprus. Do you feel that these kind of statements undercut your initiative and your credibility as a negotiator? AMB. MILLER: Look, what the United States is trying to do in assisting to help solve the Cyprus problem is clear and it's above board and it's totally transparent for all to see. The statements that are made by our people are statements that are authorized statements. Again, I really emphasize to you, let's focus on the big picture here and not whether someone used "no-fly zone" or "moratorium" or "conflict" or "invasion" or this or that. We can play that game forever, and we'll be sitting here talking five years from now, probably not me, most likely you guys, asking the same questions. And I'm just saying it doesn't get you anywhere. REPORTER: But, there were certain retractions of this kind of statements. I mean this is what confuses the issue. AMB. MILLER: What retractions? REPORTER: Well, there were retractions concerning the Was it the invasion? No. There were certain retractions. AMB. MILLER: Well, I am not aware of any retractions that have been made in recent days. I would say, generally, there are occasions when what might be said is misunderstood, sometimes things that I say might be misunderstood. I wouldn't say retractions. We don't retract stuff; we clarify. REPORTER: Well, the other day, Mr. Rubin said the Turkish flights on July 20 were legal. AMB. MILLER: No, he didn't say they were legal flights. He did not say that. I listened to him yesterday. We wrote the stuff. He didn't. REORDER: He didn't say they were illegal either. AMB. MILLER: Again, he did not say they are legal or illegal. He wasn't even asked a question on that. And he addressed the flights, and what happened on the celebration on the 20th of July, and I think he addressed it quite properly. REPORTER: [Inaudible] ...the approach of Sir David Hannay and what he analyzed yesterday and the day before that you have to leave aside the status issue and to move to the discussions of substance? AMB. MILLER: Well, look it's not Sir David's thought. I know that Diego Cordovez had similar thoughts when he was here. And again, I'll get back to what I said before: whatever works. I am not sure I can answer that question as fully as I would like to because that would betray some of the conversations we've had with the leaders on the island. And if it works, fine, if it's not going to work, then you go to something else. REPORTER: Sir, but this approach means that from the time Mr. Denktash says, "Nothing is going to happen unless I am recognized as President," then the next step will be that if this works, we propose to everyone to recognize him in order... AMB. MILLER: Well, I am not sure I agree with your analogy. Let me give you an analogy that I use. This is when I was a kid, I saw a movie: "The Sound of Music." Great movie. You've all seen it. Right? OK. You remember the scene where Julie Andrews was very troubled, and she couldn't quite figure out if she wanted to be a nun or wanted to do something else with her life, and she goes to see the Mother Superior and pours out her heart to the Mother Superior whose name I don't remember, and the Mother Superior gives her some great advice, and it's advice that has guided me -- and I'm not saying this as a joke; I'm dead serious -- it's guided me in my job. And the advice that she gave her was "sometimes He," and I guess she was talking about the Lord, "locks the door. Whenever He locks the door, He always opens a window." Now the window is not a door and the window is not as big as a door and sometimes the window is hard to find. And I think that's really what our job, what our task before us is. If the door is locked, after a while -- you make sure it's first locked -- but after a while if it is genuinely locked, you stop banging your body against it and you look for that window. REPORTER: The only difference is that the UN Security Council decided to lock some windows such as that of the recognition and if the such an element is introduced, it seems to me it will be in contravention with the United Nations resolutions. AMB. MILLER: Hold on. I didn't say that the window that would be unlocked would be recognition [of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus"], you know, [or] whatever other kind of terminology you want to use. And I am well aware of what the United Nations Security Council has done because we are members to the United Nations Security Council. We are always members of the Security Council. I am not suggesting that at all. And I think we've said on the record many times that our government is not going to recognize the "TRNC" and that remains our policy. REPORTER: Sir David Hannay's suggestion is that both parties should forget about their status and just come to the negotiations table and discuss that status as part of a final solution. AMB. MILLER: This is exactly what Dick Holbrooke and I were trying to accomplish when we were here in April and May. Again, I remind you what Dick said at the time as we left on May 4; [it] was [that] there are several concerns that the Turkish Cypriot side had -- one was what you would call status, the second was the EU accession question, those are the two main concerns. The embargo is also another concern, but these first two concerns were principal concerns of the Turkish Cypriot side. And we didn't say to the Turkish Cypriot side nor when we are talking to the government of Cyprus and President Clerides, we didn't say "We are not going to talk about these things." Indeed, to the contrary, we said, "Let's talk about them." And it was only when the Turkish Cypriot side said, "No, we have to have our bottom line as preconditions before we agree to sit down and talk" that we just said, "Can't do it." In the history of negotiations that's not the way; in the history of the way you solve problems, that's not the way it's done. And that's not the way it can be done. REPORTER: So, then we should be hopeful in that one must try to convince Mr. Denktash to retain for himself whatever title and status he wants as long as he comes to the negotiating table on the basis of the UN Security Council resolutions and leave these problems to be part of an overall solution. AMB. MILLER: Well, that is a pretty eloquent way of stating it. I would say that my program is to find that window. REPORTER: If I come back to the S-300s issue. Sir David said yesterday that for him the best way is a moratorium with a mechanism of monitoring this moratorium, and he gave as an example the example of the Aegean. So, I am wondering what is your position on the idea by Sir David Hannay. AMB. MILLER: Well, there are some ideas that have been out there. I wouldn't characterize it as Sir David Hannay's idea. I mean, we've been discussing this concept for a long, long time. What you are referring to is the "Recognized Air Picture" in the Aegean. And I don't know how many of your viewers and readers are aware of that. But, what that essentially is, is a regime that was established about two years ago to try to deal with the constant problem of Turkish overflights of Greek islands and allegations of overflight violations, with the Greek side and Turkish side saying, "No, we are not doing it." And so, we were involved in setting this up. In fact, I was personally involved in it a couple of years ago. We felt that clearly there was a need for a third party to be out there that was not involved in this process to look and see what was happening. And that's when they set up the RAP, the Recognized Air Picture, which seems to work, I think, according to all parties pretty well. Not perfect. And if you are looking for perfection in this part of the world, if you are looking for perfection anywhere, forget it. It's not going to happen. But, I think the Recognized Air Picture has worked pretty well as a mechanism. When both sides know that someone else is watching, and a third party is involved, I think it tends to cut things down. And I think it has. I think if you talk to the Greek military, they'll tell you so. REPORTER: So, do you think it would work for Cyprus as well? AMB. MILLER: It's an example of something that worked. You don't necessarily say, "Do this" somewhere else. I mean, Cyprus has got a unique set of problems, and a situation that's kind of unique. I would remind you that when I came here almost a year ago, right before the missiles were even on the scope as a big issue, we talked about an air moratorium. We had a moratorium for a while that broke down. It was established in May of last year, a little over a year ago, and it broke down when the two sides, first the Greek side felt it was important to do NIKIFOROS and then the Turks, as you recall, came back and said, "Well, if they are going to do NIKIFOROS we are going to do TOROS" -- these two exercises that happened last fall. And this was a discussion that was quite advanced, not related to the missiles in any way, shape or form. REPORTER: But, what is interesting here is that, despite the objection of the United States to a guaranteed no-fly zone, NATO's Secretary General seems to be ready to sort of talk about it -- AMB. MILLER: Well, I think there's been a little -- I saw Secretary General Solana in Washington last week, and I saw his comments. And his comments I think are being somewhat misconstrued. I mean, he can explain them better. He was at a National Press Club event, and he was asked about this, and he just expressed basically a willingness to be helpful. That's it. He didn't get into anything about guarantees or anything else. REPORTER: But, he said we have to solve this problem being the core of this problem and making the arrival of the S-300 not needed. AMB. MILLER: Sure. REPORTER: Is this your proposal? AMB. MILLER: Of course, we would like to make the arrival of the S-300s not needed. ...absolutely. Kind of a funny way of putting it, but I agree with that. REPORTER: In that instance, then, would you take up what Mrs. Albright produced a couple of years ago of initiating a direct dialogue between the two sides on issues of security? Not the military dialogue, but security? AMB. MILLER: September 15th of last year, if you recall. Sure, this is something that you recall the circumstances. I came out to the island, got the two sides to agree to this, Secretary Albright was in the region, she stopped right outside the runway here and made that announcement. This is an important issue. It's been almost two years since this discussion on these security measures first started. The three security measures, just to recapitulate, are code of conduct, no ammunition in weapons and the important and the critical one, and the one that got everyone quite hung up, demanning of posts on both sides of the green line. And it's the demanning proposal that has caused a concern. We would like to see closure. We would like to see an agreement on this. You now have a new UN Chief of Mission on the island, Dame Ann Hercus, who I mentioned before. This is something that we initiated -- no, I don't even know. I think that both parts really initiated the thing, we tried to give a little bit of a boost to it last year, and this is something that we are very supportive of. I am sure, I know it's very high on Mrs. Hercus' agenda, and we'll do whatever we can to encourage this. REPORTER: But, you are talking about the military dialogue. I am talking about the security aspect of the Cyprus problem. AMB. MILLER: What Secretary Albright announced last year was that the two leaders agreed to meet to discuss security issues to be defined. And clearly those discussions did not get too far. They did meet, and then we've had a refusal on the part of the Turkish Cypriot side to meet since then. REPORTER: Are you going to take this up again at this trip? AMB. MILLER: The general subject, sure. The specifics -- again, we are talking about a couple of different dimensions here. We are really talking about the UN security measures, that's one, and I think that whatever I can do to encourage closure on this I'll do. We are talking about the security dialogue which didn't get too far because the two leaders have not met since really last November was the last time when they got together, and, frankly, I don't see any prospect. You know one [of] the questions that I am often asked is "Are you going to try and get them together?" My answer to that is that puts process before substance. My focus is on the substance and the process whether they get together or whether -- you know there are all different kinds of diplomatic vehicles for communication to happen. And it doesn't have to necessarily entail the two leaders getting together. That's process. That should never be the driving motivation. The driving motivation should be how you work the substance. And then you tailor the process to fit that substance. REPORTER: Mr. Miller, you've already said you have some ideas, and I would like to ask if these ideas could be considered to be a package to be closed here during this visit? Or you will need to also go to Athens and then to Ankara in order to see if the package can be closed? AMB. MILLER: Again, I will answer that in two ways. Number one, whatever works. I think, the second part of that question, I think, clearly, it is important to have consultations in both Athens and Ankara, too, with whatever ideas, which I am not talking about, I might have. That's all one sentence, by the way. REPORTER: But, the problem now is do you have ideas about the -- AMB. MILLER: I always have ideas. You know me. I wouldn't come out here if I didn't have ideas. REPORTER: Well, we wish you luck. AMB. MILLER: Well, thank you. I'll need it. And I'll need all of your cooperation. REPORTER: You have it. We'll need all of your cooperation as well. AMB. MILLER: You all know I am extremely accessible. And if you've got a question within the ground rules of how I can answer, I am happy, through Judy [Dr. Judith Baroody, USIS Nicosia Public Affairs Officer] to deal with your questions, comments, what have you. You all know how difficult the process is, all of the dimensions of the problem that we've talked about, and this is where you can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. I really ask that you join me and you join Sir David and you join Dick Holbrooke and you join Ann Hercus -- REPORTER: Is Amb. Holbrooke still around? AMB. MILLER: Dick Holbrooke is definitely still around. Let me just clarify that. I am glad you asked. He is still the Special Presidential Envoy. The President has announced his intent to nominate Dick for the UN Ambassador job. He has not been scheduled for Senate confirmation hearings. You know how our system operates. So, Dick is the Special Presidential Envoy. We've been in daily contact. We still continue this great relationship where he calls me "colleague" and I call him "boss." And we get along great. And he will say that "We had good long consultations" before I came out here and I will say that "I got my instructions from him." But, however you want to read it, he is still the Special Presidential Envoy. He still is very involved in Cyprus and things related to Cyprus, and I think even in the new UN job, regardless of what his status may or may not be, which I am really not at liberty to speak about, after he takes over as UN Ambassador, he will be involved in matters relating to Cyprus. REPORTER: Are you interested in succeeding him when he goes to take up his new job? AMB. MILLER: No (laughter) -- No, we are a team. And no one, you know, succeeds -- No, I shouldn't say that -- (laughter) REPORTER: Mr. Miller, these ideas that you have will be given to the sides in writing? AMB. MILLER: You see, this is the game of "gotcha." You guys are asking if I have something in writing, then you look and see if I am carrying pieces of paper when I go into a meeting and if I am carrying pieces of paper they are clearly proposals. You know, it might be a letter to my wife (laughter). REPORTER: Are these take or leave it type of ideas? AMB. MILLER: I never do "take it or leave it." Never. That's not a good way to do anything. Thank you very much. (End transcript)
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