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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman 11/1/93 TAKEN QUESTIONS 1. NORTH KOREA: IAEA REPORT Q. Any comment on IAEA Director General Hans Blix's statement today on nuclear safeguards in North Korea? A. -- AS WE HAVE SAID, WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT NORTH KOREA HAS NOT YET ACCEPTED IAEA INSPECTIONS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE CONTINUITY OF SAFEGUARDS AT ITS DECLARED NUCLEAR FACILITIES. -- WE AGREE WITH INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) DIRECTOR HANS BLIX THAT "ONLY THE PRACTICE OF FULL NUCLEAR TRANSPARENCY, INCLUDING FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF IAEA SAFEGUARDS, CAN CREATE CONFIDENCE THAT [NORTH KOREA'S] NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES ARE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO PEACEFUL PURPOSES." -- WE URGE NORTH KOREA TO ACCEPT THESE INSPECTIONS IMMEDIATELY AND TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH THE IAEA IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT. 2. GERMANY: ATTACK ON AMERICAN ATHLETES Q: Do you have any reaction to an attack on American athletes in Germany? A: -- WE TAKE THIS INCIDENT SERIOUSLY, AND HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH GERMAN AUTHORITIES. WE HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS WILL HANDLE THIS MATTER AS APPROPRIATE. GERMAN OFFICIALS CONTACTED THE TEAM TO EXPRESS THEIR REGRET OVER THE INCIDENT. THE OFFICIALS ASSURED TEAM MEMBERS THAT THE CASE WILL BE VIGOROUSLY PURSUED. 3. UNITED STATES/ISRAEL/JORDAN ECONOMIC WORKING GROUP AND OTHER MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS MEETINGS Q: Is there a trilateral U.S./Jordan/Israel meeting in the near future? A: ON OCTOBER 1, 1993, WHEN PRESIDENT CLINTON HOSTED ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER PERES AND JORDANIAN CROWN PRINCE HASSAN AT THE WHITE HOUSE, THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED FORMATION OF A TRILATERAL U.S./ISRAELI/JORDANIAN WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS COMMON ISRAELI/JORDANIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUES. THE UNITED STATES WILL ACT AS FACILITATOR IN THIS WORKING GROUP. THE U.S. WILL BE INVITING ISRAEL AND JORDAN TO A MEETING OF THE TRILATERAL WORKING GROUP IN PARIS NOVEMBER 4. UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE JOAN SPERO WILL LEAD THE U.S. DELEGATION. Q: What additional information can you provide about peace process meetings? A: THE ISRAELIS AND THE PALESTINIANS CONTINUE THEIR SESSIONS IN TABA (EGYPT) ON THE TRANSFER OF AUTHORITIES IN GAZA AND JERICHO UNDER THE TERMS OF THE DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES. THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE DEALING WITH THE KEY ISSUES OF SECURITY AND TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY. ISRAELI AND JORDANIAN REPRESENTATIVES ARE MEETING IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK TO CONTINUE THEIR TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS ON THE ISSUE OF JORDANIAN BANKS OPERATING IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS MOVING QUICKLY TO PROVIDE THE ASSISTANCE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT SUCCESSFULLY THE ISRAEL/PLO ACCORD. THE AD HOC LIAISON COMMITTEE CREATED AT THE OCTOBER 1 DONORS CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON WILL MEET IN PARIS ON NOVEMBER 5 TO FURTHER COORDINATE DONOR EFFORTS. THE WORLD BANK HAS A LARGE MISSION IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA TO DESIGN A COHERENT STRATEGY, TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC PROJECTS AND TO COORDINATE ASSISTANCE EFFORTS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. THERE IS ALSO A GREAT DEAL OF ACTIVITY OCCURRING IN THE MULTILATERAL SIDE OF THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS: FROM OCTOBER 12-14, THE REFUGEE WORKING GROUP MET IN TUNIS AND DECIDED ON AN AMBITIOUS PLAN OF WORK. FROM OCTOBER 26-28, THE MULTILATERAL WORKING GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES MET IN BEIJING. THAT GROUP ENDORSED THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL DATA BANK ON WATER, LAUNCHED A PROJECT FOR RAINWATER CATCHMENT TO SUPPLEMENT THE WATER SUPPLY IN GAZA, AND AGREED TO AN OMANI PROPOSAL FOR A PROJECT ON DESALINATION. THE ARMS CONTROL AND REGIONAL SECURITY GROUP WILL MEET IN MOSCOW NOVEMBER 3-4 TO REVIEW THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES IT HAS SPONSORED RECENTLY, INCLUDING WORKSHOPS ON VERIFICATION AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING, AND TO PLAN FUTURE ACTIVITIES. OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN HELD ON MARITIME CBMS, VERIFICATION, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND PRE-NOTIFICATION, AND LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES AND DECLARATORY MEASURES. THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP WILL MEET IN COPENHAGEN NOVEMBER 8-9 TO CONTINUE ITS WORK IN SUPPORT OF REGIONAL INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT THE PEACE PROCESS. (###)