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US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1993
BRIEFER:
Christine Shelly
Subject Page
NORTH KOREA
DPRK Response to US re Nuclear Issue ..............3
-- White House Meeting Today ..............................1,2,3
-- US Contacts with South Korea ........................1-2
-- IAEA Reaction
.........................................................3
Possible Visit by Secretary General ..................2
FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
Discussions in Geneva and Brussels ...................3-4
Future Discussions by Parties to Conflict ......4
Reported Five-Point US Proposal on
Macedonia
....................................................................4
DEPARTMENT
Status of Naming of New Deputy Secretary ...4
OUTER SPACE
Reported NASA Meeting with Russia/Other
re Space Station
......................................................4-5
RUSSIA
Upcoming Elections ...................................................5
ARMS CONTROL
US-Russian Working Groups on Ukraine/
Security Guarantees ...............................................5
US-Russia Discussions on Re-Targeting
Nuclear Missiles
.......................................................7-8
CHINA
Arrest of Yen Men Kao for Spying ........................5-6
Report of Missing Chinese Dissident .................9
HAITI
Prime Minister's Meetings in Washington .......6
-- Malval/Aristide Meeting at White House ...6
-- Malval Press Conference/Future Plans .......6-7
VENEZUELA
Presidential Election Results ...............................7
Asst. Secretary Watson's Visit Last Week ......7
SOMALIA
Political Dialogue of Parties in Ethiopia .........9
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPC #158
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1993, 1:16 P. M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MS. SHELLY: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't
have any announcements, so I'd be pleased to proceed directly to take
your questions.
Q Could you tell us the very latest assessment -- the State
Department's, at least; it doesn't necessarily have to be the Pentagon's
-- of the situation with North Korea and whether their nuclear sites
will, or you have an expectation that they will, be open to
international inspection?
MS. SHELLY: In the last couple of days there have been
several senior Administration officials who have commented on this and
given some of their early characterizations. As you know, the President
addressed this this morning. Vice President Gore addressed this
yesterday on "Meet the Press," and Assistant Secretary Robert Gallucci
from the State Department addressed this on "Newsmaker Saturday."
I certainly cannot add any further precise comments on this
issue. You're aware of the fact that we received their response. We've
been discussing it, we've been considering it, we've been examining it,
and this is a subject for further discussion by senior Administration
officials this afternoon. I simply think it would be inappropriate for
me to get into a detailed discussion of the specifics.
Q If you've come to conclusions, what's the discussion this
afternoon about?
MS. SHELLY: I'm not saying that anyone has come to
conclusions on that. I think the point of the meeting this afternoon is
for all of the interested watchers of this issue and participants in
this to get together and to share their assessments based on the reviews
which have been underway since Friday, and then to develop a position.
Q Have there been discussions between the United States and
the South Koreans? And in whatever decision is made, does the United
States want to be in synch with the South Koreans?
MS. SHELLY: I think that certainly the South Korean position
on this is very important to us. I don't think that it would be
productive for me to get into a specific discussion of what exchanges we
may or may not have had over the last couple of days.
As I said, at this point our focus has been on our own
discussions of this response in all of its aspects. It's not just a
simple "yes," "no," open-and-shut kind of case. All of those
considerations will be brought to bear to the meeting this afternoon.
And then again, as other Administration officials have indicated, when a
final conclusion has been reached, we will then go forward with
consultations with our allies at that point.
Q Do you happen to know who's representing the State
Department at this meeting, or is there a State Department person there?
MS. SHELLY: I believe that there will be a State Department
representative, but I would decline to name exactly who is the
representative in that.
Q What kind of a meeting is this? Would you call it a
principals' meeting?
MS. SHELLY: I didn't call it anything in particular.
Q I heard someone did.
MS. SHELLY: I simply said that there would be a meeting.
Actually, I think that the Vice President himself referred to a meeting
which would be taking place at the White House on this, and I'd just
leave it at that.
Q But I don't want to leave it at that, if I can. I want
to find out, if I can, if -- the Secretary's out of town; and, you know,
not only is this an important issue but the Pentagon seems to verge on
hysteria every now and then, and the State Department seems to have a
more relaxed view or a less excited view of what's going on. So it
would be interesting to know who's carrying the State Department's view
to the White House today. Could you possibly tell us that?
MS. SHELLY: I think that the State Department will be
represented at a very senior level, and I really don't want to get into
a naming of names here.
Q Do you know anything about a trip to North Korea later
this month by the U.N. Secretary General?
MS. SHELLY: I don't have anything specific on that. I'd be
happy to check and see if we have anything.
Q Is it still the American position -- as I understand it
was after the visit of President Kim -- that there ought to be no
conditions attached to North Korea's going ahead with inspections on its
declared nuclear sites and reopening a high-level dialogue with the
South Koreans?
MS. SHELLY: I'm just not going to get into a discussion of
the specifics on this. This is a subject which is being discussed, as
I've said, later this afternoon; and I'm just not going to get dragged
into issues of this and that and linkages. I just think it would be
inappropriate for me to comment on the specifics.
Q Can you tell us what your understanding is of the IAEA's
response?
MS. SHELLY: I have seen some of the press reports on this.
The IAEA's position on this matter, of course, will be very important as
we proceed with our deliberations. I'm aware of the fact that an IAEA
spokesman said that the North Korean offer did not respond adequately to
their position.
As you know, the IAEA has an independent responsibility to
decide whether or not the continuity of safeguards has been broken, and
in particular what inspections they need to verify safeguards. We have
always said that we would accept the IAEA's determination of continuity
of safeguards in North Korea.
Q Just to define what's going on at the White House, is the
meeting today only about the nuclear issue or are other matters included
such as North Korean troop buildups and such?
MS. SHELLY: I honestly couldn't tell you. I know that the
nuclear issue is on the agenda. My guess is that it would not be
terribly likely that it would be very narrowly focused, but I don't have
any precise information on other agenda topics or related issues to this
one.
Q Is there a new American plan for the Balkans, especially
considering Macedonia and Greek relations?
MS. SHELLY: The simple answer to your question is no, there
is not a new American plan. As you are aware, there were meetings last
week in Geneva. There was the special Ministerial meeting sponsored by
the European Union and attended by European Union Foreign Ministers.
The meeting was formally observed by U.S. Ambassador Redman, and also
Russian officials attended as observers.
As you know, there were three days of talks under the
mediation of Lord Owen and under the U.N. Special Envoy Stoltenberg.
These talks adjourned on the 2nd of December.
The reports that we have are that the talks last week were
very serious and substantive. Certainly significant differences remain
on a number of key issues. Nonetheless, the parties have expressed a
willingness to continue negotiating. Bilateral contacts are also
continuing this week, and we understand that the Co-Chairmen are
expected to reconvene the general talks in approximately ten days,
something like that.
Q Who were the talks between?
MS. SHELLY: I'm sorry.
Q Was it in Bosnia -- general talks about Bosnia? About
what?
MS. SHELLY: The talks about the Bosnian situation in its
entirety.
Q But the Greek press writes that there is a new American
plan with five points considering Macedonia and Greek relations and
talks.
MS. SHELLY: I'm not aware of any such plan.
Q Do you know when there might be a new Deputy Secretary of
State? I was just wondering, because we're talking about who goes to
meetings when the Secretary's out of town. A vacancy at the top or near
the top. Is there a choice or have I missed an announcement or
something?
MS. SHELLY: No, I don't believe you've missed an
announcement. I don't have anything for you on that. I think that the
Secretary is still continuing his consideration in the selection
process, and I'm sure he will make his announcement when he's ready to
do so.
Q I'm just wondering because I remember when there was a
resignation I think we were told it would be very soon or soon or
something.
Q What can you tell us, please, on the talks that the State
Department is hosting today involving NASA and the foreign partners in
the space station project, and the Russians -- the potential partners in
the space station project?
MS. SHELLY: I don't have any precise -- I tried to get some
guidance on this earlier, but I don't have anything precise for you.
I'm going to take that question and see what I can post for you later.
Q Can you tell us anything generally about these
discussions -- their goals, where they're headed, etc. -- at this point?
MS. SHELLY: As I'm not an expert on this, I would really
hesitate to do so.
Q With the Russian elections less than a week away, can you
tell us something about your expectations for the elections and whether
you think that in the runup to these polls that -- how you think the
process has been?
MS. SHELLY: I would really rather come back to that on the
basis of -- we talked about some of the aspects of that last week, and I
don't really have anything to add to that. I can see if we can give you
a kind of general observation or expectation, see if we can post
something on that. I just don't have anything new today.
Q Is it possible that you might know whether the working
groups that the Secretary and Mr. Kozyrev set up to deal with the
Ukrainian problem have had any meetings, and indeed are the two sides
addressing security guarantees?
You know, they met, you remember, in Brussels and there was a
joint news conference. They said they were going to put these groups to
work, and then it became clear one of the issues is to work together on
security guarantees to Ukraine. I was just wondering in the interim if
anything's moved on that.
MS. SHELLY: I don't know if there has been any movement on
this since just last Friday, since there were also two weekend days in
the interim. I'd be happy to check on that and see if there's any
expectation about when exactly some of these meetings may start.
Q Do you have anything on a Chinese national that was
arrested in North Carolina last week on charges of espionage -- I guess
stealing business secrets?
MS. SHELLY: I've just seen the reports that indicate that
there was an arrest of Yen Men Kao, allegedly for spying. What we're
trying to do is really look into the facts of the incident.
As a rule, as you know, we don't comment specifically on
intelligence matters. Since I don't have, really, the precise details
surrounding the incident and what we may or may not have known from
other kinds of channels, I can simply say I'm aware of the same thing
that you are on it but I don't have anything more precise.
Q Are we attempting to deport him?
MS. SHELLY: I've also seen that there is some question about
this that has come up, that there is a possibility that he may have
overstayed his visa, which I understand was actually a business visa.
As you know, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is
actually responsible for the deportation of individuals, and so on this
particular one I think I'd have to refer you to the INS for further
information.
Q Can you say anything about this meeting at the White
House today with President Aristide and Prime Minister Malval?
MS. SHELLY: As you know, Prime Minister Malval has been in
town since the end of last week. He has been having a variety of
meetings here. He met with, as you know, Acting Secretary Peter Tarnoff
on Friday. I understand he was meeting with President Aristide over the
weekend.
The possibility of a meeting at the White House, my
understanding is that this is something that has been under discussion;
but I don't think that anything in particular has been announced yet. I
think that possibility for late this afternoon is still open, but I
don't think there's anything firm on it yet.
Q It's on the State Department's schedule.
MS. SHELLY: I think that there was the possibility that this
would take place, so therefore the time for the senior State Department
participant was blocked out so that he would be available to come during
that time. But I'm not aware that a precise decision or announcement on
this particular visit has yet been made.
Q What's your understanding at the moment on how that
situation stands -- whether Malval is going to stay as Prime Minister
and whether there's going to be any new initiative on solving this
problem with Haiti?
MS. SHELLY: What I understand to be the case is that the
Prime Minister is actually going to be holding a press conference of his
own this afternoon. I think it's something in the neighborhood of 3:00,
something like that. I'm not sure what the precise time is, but we've
been told that he is going to have a press conference. That is the
event where he will really indicate what the results of all of his
discussions of the last few days are, and he will give his ideas for the
way ahead.
Q Has he told you?
MS. SHELLY: He has discussed some of his ideas on that with
the State Department last Friday with Mr. Tarnoff. I think that this
was a process which was still -- the discussions and then the final
decisions were still very much in flux over the course of the weekend.
I assume, since he scheduled the press conference this
morning, that in his own mind now he has some precise ideas about the
way ahead. Certainly, his soundings that he took with the military,
with some of the business leaders before he left Haiti, those
impressions were certainly shared and discussed with us, including his
own thoughts about how to move things out of the current political
impasse. I cannot really be anymore specific than that.
Q Do you have anything on the elections in Venezuela
yesterday? Are there any concerns that the policies of President
Caldera could mean a reversal of the economic reforms in Venezuela?
MS. SHELLY: Yesterday Venezuela held what we consider to be
very orderly and peaceful national elections. We understand that voter
turn out was quite high -- between 70 and 80 percent of eligible voters.
Unofficial television projections, I understand, based on
early vote results, predict a victory by former President Rafael
Caldera. Official results released thus far by the Supreme Electoral
Council also show him ahead, although we understand these results are
still preliminary.
Certainly we will have no comment on the winner until the
official results are clear. But we certainly would like to congratulate
the Venezuelan people for what we consider to be an exemplary electoral
process.
Q And also Ambassador Watson met last week with President
Caldera in Caracas. What was the purpose of that meeting?
MS. SHELLY: Broadly speaking, the purpose of Assistant
Secretary Watson's visit was to meet with political and business leaders
and to underscore the importance of Venezuelan democracy to the United
States and certainly to the entire hemisphere. Assistant Secretary
Watson pointed out that continuance of the democratic process is
essential to good relations between our two countries and to Venezuela's
overall prospects for entering into a future trade agreement with the
United States.
We're also pleased that the Venezuelan people, once again, via
their election have reaffirmed the 35-year old democratic tradition.
Q Have you got a statement to give us on the United States
and Russia talking about re-targeting or de-targeting long-range
missiles which they're doing and have been doing for months and months
and months?
MS. SHELLY: I've got a little bit for you. Let me share with
you what I have. As you're aware, last April 23 President Clinton
announced a comprehensive review of measures that could enhance
strategic stability, including the possibility of U.S. and Russia
reprogramming their nuclear missiles so that they would not routinely be
aimed at each other.
The idea was previously discussed between Presidents Clinton
and Yeltsin at the Vancouver Summit; that was in early April '93. Since
that time we have discussed this further with the Russians and with our
allies.
De-targeting is one of the key issues which is part of the
nuclear posture review which was announced in late October by Secretary
Aspin on behalf of the President. In this collaborative effort,
civilian and military planners are re-evaluating our entire nuclear
posture for the first time since the Cold War ended.
I would like to note that no decisions have been made on the
issues which have been raised and discussed so far. The results of the
studies of the issues and our discussions will be forwarded to the
President who will make the decisions regarding the changes and the
number and disposition of our own nuclear weapons. A timetable we're
shooting toward is something like early spring.
Q Is there an interrelationship? In other words, the
United States wouldn't go ahead with the re-targeting unless the
Russians agreed first to do the same thing? Or are we prepared to do it
unilaterally?
MS. SHELLY: I'm not an expert on this issue, but it's my
understanding that this is a process whereby we're both proceeding with
this. I'm not sure that there is any precise linkage between exact
measures on one side and exact measures on the other.
As you know, the State Department is a participant in these
discussions; but some of the more precise things on the technical
measures, exactly where the initiatives stand and the kind of sequencing
or the balance between what the U.S. is thinking and what the Russians
are thinking, I think I'd really have to refer you to experts at the
Pentagon on that.
Q Can we go back to North Korea, please? The North Korean
Congress is meeting in three days, much in advance. Is the United
States expecting anything from this meeting, any change in position or
--
MS. SHELLY: From?
Q The North Korean Congress.
MS. SHELLY: I don't have any precise information on that.
Q Okay. I have another question, please. Do you have
anything about the disappearance of Chinese dissident Mashaohua? I
don't know how to pronounce the name -- Mashaohua.
MS. SHELLY: I'll have to take the question.
Q What is your latest reading of the talks in Addis Ababa
between the Somali factions?
MS. SHELLY: I don't have a very precise readout for you.
What I can tell you is that the various factions in Addis have been
having a lot of meetings in the last couple of days. Most of these have
been in formal sessions, some have been in groups, some have been in
one-on-one sessions.
Certainly our feeling is that the talks are being entered into
seriously, that the situation is very fluid; and I'm not sure we have
any kind of preliminary readout now on progress. The process of
dialogue and the discussions about the future of Somalia, they are
certainly very much in progress; but I don't really have much more than
that to share with you.
Q Thank you very much.
MS. SHELLY: Thank you.
(Press briefing concluded at 1:38 p.m.)
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