US Department of State Daily Briefing #11:
Friday, 1/17/92
Boucher
Source: State Department Deputy Spokesman Richard
Boucher
Description: Washington, DC
Date: Jan, 17 19921/17/92
Category: Briefings
Region: Eurasia, East Asia, Caribbean
Country: USSR (former), Russia, North Korea, Cuba
Subject: State Department, Arms Control,
Nuclear Nonproliferation, Human Rights, International Law,
Trade/Economics
12:23 P. M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
[Announcements: Press Briefing Schedule for Next Week and
Press Access to Building]
0 MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If I can,
I've got a few things to start off with. The first is about some
housekeeping matters. The second is the update on Under Secretary
Bartholomew's visit, and the third is something about a meeting with
North Korea.
On the first, we're not going to be briefing here next Wednesday
and Thursday --
Q How about Monday?
MR. BOUCHER: Monday is a federal holiday, so we'll look forward
to briefings on Tuesday and Friday next week. On Thursday there will
be a press conference associated with the Coordinating Conference,
and frankly on Wednesday we've got so many people working on other
things that we don't think we can pull it off. So we're going to
focus our energies on doing the Coordinating Conference right and not
do a briefing here.
As for the conference itself, let me remind you we put up -- I
think gave you some information yesterday on lobbies, elevators, etc.
The C Street entrance is basically closed -- well, is closed.
People will have to go to other entrances. By and large we urge the
-- well, let me divide it up.
Those of you with building passes can use them in the turnstiles
at the other entrances. For other press who want to come by and see
us or have business with us, we will have more or less a branch press
office in the 23rd Street entrance, and we'll try to take care of
people there. So we would urge all members of the press corps who
are coming to come to the 23rd Street entrance.
Questions, I may be able to run through some of the information
with you in a little more detail later. But basically the opening remarks
at the beginning of the conference will be covered, but it's a
crowded room, and we'll use a tight pool for that. I think we've
already contacted the people to put together the appropriate pools
for that.
There will be coverage of the comings and goings, both
here and at the lunch at Blair House, and then there will be a
press conference at the end with the Secretary and the other
people. Ministers and others who are attending the conference
will be there to answer your questions. That will be in the
early afternoon, Thursday afternoon. We've got a big room.
We'll try to accommodate everyone, but, if there are too many
people, it will be first come, first served for that.
Q But no kickoff briefing or press conference?
MR. BOUCHER: No. Not at this point. The opening of
the conference itself, we expect there to be coverage.
[Former Soviet Union: Bartholomew Mission Discussions with Russia
On Nuclear Arms/Exports/International Agreements]
Bartholomew: Under Secretary Bartholomew met today in
Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev and Acting Minister
of Atomic Power and Industry Nikipelov.
There was a meeting of the full teams from both sides,
including senior officials from the Russian Foreign Ministry and
General Staff. The working groups on safety, security and
dismantling and on nuclear proliferation have also met today.
Finally, there was a wrap-up session involving senior
officials led by Under Secretary Bartholomew and Russian First
Deputy Foreign Minister Shelyov-Kovedayev.
Bartholomew, we understand, has explained his meetings
in the following terms with some of the press in Moscow:
On the basic issue of nuclear command and control, as
he said, we've made clear that we want to see a single unified
authority for the control of nuclear weapons. At Alma-Ata, the
Commonwealth States all agreed on a document which moves in the
direction of a single authority, and we were encouraged by that.
On how the Moscow talks went, he said that considerable
progress was made. Much remains to be done. He will now go on
to the three other republics. They'll go to Kiev on Saturday.
They plan to hold discussions in Minsk on Monday and Alma-Ata on
Tuesday. In each place they will meet with the senior
leadership of each of the new states there.
That's the way that's going.
Q When is he coming back?
MR. BOUCHER: I think we said he was due back the 22nd.
I haven't reconfirmed that, but approximately the middle of
next week.
Q Are you able to be specific about how the
gathering of the "tacs" [tactical nuclear weapons] in Russia is
proceeding?
MR. BOUCHER: No. I'm afraid I'm not. We asked the
party about that, and they said they had nothing for us on the
subject.
Q Can you add anything more to your statement that
considerable progress was made? Was any sort of regime set up
to begin the dismantling; how will the two sides work together?
MR. BOUCHER: I can't add more to it at this point,
John. As we said, he feels he's made considerable progress, but
there is more work to be done. They asked that we hold off on
trying to discuss the substance of the talks in detail until
they've been able to visit the other republics, finish their
work, analyze the results, and return to Washington. He's aware
of the request you made for a briefing when he gets back.
Q Richard, there were reports that other republics
than the four nuclear weapons republics known also have nuclear
weapons. Do the talks cover this problem or is it away from
that?
MR. BOUCHER: Our concerns about nuclear weapons are
general. They're nuclear weapons wherever they may be.
I'd point out that he's talking to the Russian Foreign
Ministry. He's also talking to the general staff -- the
military. So he's talking to not just individual republics, but
they have some broader role.
Q Richard, another part of the world, please.
[North Korea: Under Secretary Kanter to Meet with Party Chairman
Kim Young Sun in New York]
MR. BOUCHER: Can I do the North Korea announcement?
Q Oh, I'm sorry. I beg your pardon.
MR. BOUCHER: The United States Government represented
by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Arnold Kanter
will meet with a North Korean delegation headed by Korean
Worker's Party Secretary Kim Young Sun in New York on January
22, to discuss issues of concern.
Q January?
MR. BOUCHER: January 22 in New York.
Q Are those exclusively nuclear issues of concern?
MR. BOUCHER: The issues that we expect to discuss, I
don't have a full agenda for you here. Let me say two things
about that.
First of all, we will be discussing the nuclear issue
as well as other concerns. The context is what we've said
previously, that we are prepared to improve our relations with
North Korea in the context of their addressing a number of
concerns; most immediately the nuclear issue and progress in the
North-South talks, which remains the primary means for resolving
the problems on the Korean peninsula.
Q Do you want to touch on any of those other issues?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't want to at this point. We've
stated in the past what the various issues and concerns were,
and those certainly still apply.
Q Does the meeting with North Korea mean that the
United States is going to have a closer relation with North
Korea from now on?
MR. BOUCHER: I wouldn't necessarily put it in that
context. At this point, there are no specific follow-up
meetings planned. This is a meeting to discuss issues of
concern. I gave you the general context, but I wouldn't go
farther than that.
Q Are these talks substituting for Beijing contact
between political counselors or is it going on separately from
the Beijing contact?
MR. BOUCHER: Since October '88, I think we've had 18
of those meetings at the political counselor level in Beijing.
I expect that those meetings would continue. I'm not aware of
anything specific scheduled at this point.
Q Richard, is this the highest level meeting ever
held between North Korea and American officials that you recall?
MR. BOUCHER: That I recall? Yes. That other people
who have worked on this recall? I think I better double-check
that.
Q Which Kim?
MR. BOUCHER: The spelling I have is Kim, K-I-M; Young,
Y-O-U-N-G; and Sun, S-U-N.
Q Will this meeting be one time or not?
MR. BOUCHER: As I said, at this point, we have no
further meetings scheduled or planned. We'll see what happens.
Q Did you have a communication about these talks
with the South Korean Government?
MR. BOUCHER: We've been in very close contact with our
South Korean ally on a whole number of issues recently. I'd
just leave it at that.
Q This meeting, too?
MR. BOUCHER: Including this, yes.
Q Another subject, Richard. The situation in Cuba
with the three American residents who went in there -- the three
who were resident in America --
Q Filing break.
MR. BOUCHER: Filing break.
Q -- who went there. Given the fact that they were
able to get into Cuba, given the fact that they took training in
the United States, and that a number of groups apparently are
running around south Florida training for some unspecified
action, does the United States feel that it is adequately
enforcing the neutrality laws?
MR. BOUCHER: John, that's not really a question that I
can answer. As far as how exactly those laws apply and what
restrictions there may be on activities within the United States
and the enforcement of those laws, I think that's something that
the Department of Justice has to answer.
Q Thank you.
(Press briefing concluded at 12:33 p.m.)