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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

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QUESTION: On the Cypriot foreign minister's meeting with the Secretary, you mentioned that the SAM-10 issue came up. One, did the Secretary ask the Cypriot Government to reconsider that sale? And, two, was the foreign minister able to clarify this sometimes hazy idea of when the actual parts are going to be delivered -- when deliveries of the physical parts will start?

MR. BURNS: The Secretary noted our long-standing disagreement with the decision by the government of Cyprus to acquire the SA-10 missile system from Russia. We think it is destabilizing. Frankly, we are interested in the security of Cyprus, and we do not believe that acquiring this system will add to the security. We think it will only produce a countermeasure by others in the region, which cannot be helpful.

This was a very respectful, very calm conversation. There was no acrimony between the Secretary and Minister Kasoulides. They are good friends. What we have understood in the past, Jim, is that this system will not be made operational for some time. I remember when we talked about this issue frequently; the Cypriots at that point said it will not be made operational for a period of 16 months. I think that was maybe six months ago. I'll have to go back and check my timing. We hope that is the case. Instead of the acquisition of advanced or new missiles, or, excuse me, military systems by any of the parties in Cyprus, we hope that the appointment of Dick Holbrooke, the initiative of Secretary General Kofi Annan will move the Cypriots, the Cypriot Government, the Turkish community, the Greek and Turkish Governments to a resolution of the Cyprus problem that will make any kind of acquisition of a weapons system like this unnecessary in the future. That is essentially the point of view that the Secretary put across today.

QUESTION: And was the scheduled delivery of parts clarified?

MR. BURNS: It was not clarified in the meeting itself. But a lot of our officials have been talking to Minister Kasoulides both yesterday and today in longer meetings. I'm sure that issue will be brought up.

QUESTION: Nick, you now say that assurances were made that it won't be operational. I thought the original commitment was that none of the missiles and accessory materials --

MR. BURNS: Will be brought into the country.

QUESTION: -- would be delivered?

MR. BURNS: That's right. Or made operational. Right, there is no misunderstanding here.

QUESTION: Well, will parts - will the missiles themselves and their associated parts be delivered before this 16-month --

MR. BURNS: We trust that they will not be. I think there was even a statement by President Clerides himself that there would be no actual importation into the country of the various crates and missile parts and no assembly so that the system is operational. Right. Yes, still on Cyprus, Tom?

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. BURNS: Yes.

QUESTION: Does the U.S. Government believe that these weapons present a threat to Turkey? Because I'm sure your experts are very aware that they are defensive, and they are something like the Patriots. So how could the country use Patriots to attack another country?

MR. BURNS: First, Tom --

QUESTION: One has to clarify that, I think.

MR. BURNS: Right, thank you for asking that question.

QUESTION: Sure.

MR. BURNS: I'm glad to clarify it. Again, we have the greatest respect for Cyprus, and we want the security of the Cypriot people to be ensured. We simply believe that the introduction of any kind of advanced system like this, whether it is defensive or offensive, is simply going to produce a countermeasure by others in the region, by the Turks. That won't be helpful to expand the base of cooperation that clearly needs to be effected in order for there to be a settlement of the Cyprus problem.

We want Cyprus to be secure and free of intimidation and free from attack. There is no argument there. We have the greatest respect for President Clerides and the terrific job that he has done as President of Cyprus. But we don't think this particular step is going to lead the situation towards peace, and that's what we think all of these issues need to be judged upon.

QUESTION: Nick, can we --

QUESTION: On Cyprus --

QUESTION: Did the Secretary give Mr. Kasoulides any idea when Mr. Holbrooke will start work on the problem?

MR. BURNS: They did not discuss that. But I can tell you, based on my own conversations with Dick, extensively over the last couple of days, is that he is in Europe on a private business trip. He will be coming back to the States. He is going to consult in the Department of State. He does not intend to participate in the UN talks between President Clerides and Mr. Denktash. He will be monitoring those talks, of course. He does not intend to travel to the region for at least several weeks, and perhaps even beyond that.

He understands, as does Secretary Albright, that this is a manifestly complex and difficult challenge. It is not going to be resolved in three weeks. It may require years to resolve it. So he is prepared to be patient, take a longer-term view, spend a lot of time thinking about our strategy, and then beginning his own talks working very closely with the United Nations. That is his general game plan here.

QUESTION: Did he explain why, since he lives in New York, he doesn't plan to take part in those talks?

MR. BURNS: Well, because these are UN talks, sponsored by the Secretary General. I think we need to give the UN some room to maneuver here. The United Nations knows that we firmly support its peace efforts on Cyprus but, goodness knows, 23 years of division on the island means that there is room for a couple of negotiators that will be working very well together. Yes, Mr. Lambros.

QUESTION: How long lasted today's meeting between Secretary Albright and Minister Kasoulides?

MR. BURNS: I think it was about 40 minutes, but I didn't check my watch as we walked out.

QUESTION: And I would like also to know --

MR. BURNS: It was a good meeting, Mr. Lambros, excellent meeting.

QUESTION: Could you just clarify when you say countermeasures on behalf of Turkey, what do you mean with that?

MR. BURNS: We don't want to see the introduction of other military systems, weapons systems, by others in the region. We think Cyprus is overly militarized already. We would like to see a draw-down in the military equipment that is currently on Cyprus, as you know.

QUESTION: What Mr. Kasoulides told you today as far as for the missiles issue?

MR. BURNS: What did he tell us? I don't presume to speak for the government of Cyprus. I think you should ask him that. But it was a very good conversation, very productive. He obviously said what he had to say about it, and I think we clearly understand each other on this issue.

QUESTION: How do you respond to the Turkish threats in the recent last days as far as that Turkey is ready to do preemptive air strikes against the Republic of Cyprus because - with (inaudible) missiles?

MR. BURNS: Mr. Lambros, I am not aware that the government of Turkey has made such threats.

QUESTION: I'm quoting the Turkish press.

MR. BURNS: I'm sorry, I can't believe everything that is written in the Turkish press. We have to base our comments on what the Turkish Government does.

QUESTION: There are threats first of preemptive strikes against those missiles.

MR. BURNS: I'm not aware of any threat of preemptive strikes. Back when the announcement was made some time ago, there were some irresponsible statements made by Turkish military officials about the introduction of the SA-10 system. The United States firmly, at the time and currently, obviously severely criticizes any attempt to intimidate the government of Cyprus. We have been clear about that.

QUESTION: For us, if Mr. Holbrooke have also a role in the Aegean Institute, as you promised the other day.

MR. BURNS: Dick Holbrooke's clear and primary responsibility and direction from the Secretary of State is to work on the Cyprus problem. Now, obviously, that problem exists in an environment that includes other countries, Greece and Turkey, and other issues. But his primary, overriding focus-like-a-laser approach is going to be on the Cyprus problem.

QUESTION: But what will be his specific role in these talks in New York City, since earlier today at the National Press Club Mr. Kasoulides expressed his reservations for the talks.

MR. BURNS: I answered that question.

QUESTION: And also he said that his government is not prepared for those talks in New York City.

MR. BURNS: Yes, I just answered that question, Mr. Lambros. Yes?

QUESTION: Mr. Kasoulides, I think, shared this idea with Secretary Albright that there is a need for a new multinational security force on the island, probably to replace UNFICYP. What is the State Department's view on this? Is it going to be some sort of NATO force replacing the UN?

MR. BURNS: That issue did not come up in the meeting. I know it has been discussed in the press and probably more widely than that. It did not come up in the meeting. But certainly the United States will remain open to a number of suggestions for how the Cyprus problem can be best resolved.

QUESTION: Even if it didn't come up in the meeting, is it something that the State Department supports as sort of "demilitarizing" the island?

MR. BURNS: I think that you know that we don't want to be in the business of commenting specifically on options. We like to do that privately, but not publicly. We are for an undivided Cyprus, as Secretary Albright said this afternoon.

................

QUESTION: On the status of moratorium on Cyprus, since the Cypriot Foreign Minister, Mr. Kasoulides, stated in the National Press Club that the moratorium is not honored by the Turkish side, as the U.S. Government informed them.

MR. BURNS: Are you talking about the unilateral measures in Cyprus and Turkey that were taken?

QUESTION: That's exactly - that's correct, yes.

MR. BURNS: We understand that both governments, having taken those decisions unilaterally, intend to implement them, and we applaud that.

QUESTION: And whatever they discuss today on the missiles issue, since you mentioned earlier countermeasures on behalf of Turkey, are you afraid missile, Mr. Burns, for any conflict over the island of Cyprus to this attack?

MR. BURNS: We think that the Cypriot Government, the Turkish Cypriot community are interested in peace talks, interested in cooperation. We applaud that. We think that is the direction in which the situation is heading -- towards peace, away from conflict.

QUESTION: The last one. Did you find for us, finally, that Turkish violation has taken place the other day in Cyprus since the Cypriot Foreign Minister, Mr. Kasoulides, told us earlier at the National Press Club that anyone could prove that they have occurred?

MR. BURNS: As you remember, we heard two sides of a story -- one from the Cypriot Government, the other from the Turkish Government. We are concerned by the actions of the Turkish Air Force that day. We have expressed that concern directly to the Turkish Government.

QUESTION: Do you find if they occurred, as the U.S. Government? This is my question.

MR. BURNS: Mr. Lambros, as you know, we are not the monitor, sole monitor of activities in the air. We have embassies there, but we do not monitor on a daily basis. We are concerned about the actions of Turkey and have expressed that to the Turkish Government.

QUESTION: Do you know that Turkish war ships were in the Cypriot port?

MR. BURNS: I simply can't comment on that question, Mr. Lambros. ...............

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