US DEPARTMENT OF STATE DISPATCH
VOLUME 6, NUMBER 40, OCTOBER 2, 1995
BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:
1. The United Nations: The Momentum For Reform Must Accelerate--
Secretary Christopher
2.Success of the NATO Air Campaign in Bosnia--President Clinton
3. Meetings With Foreign Ministers: Former Yugoslavia and Russia--
Secretary Christopher
4. U.S.-Ireland Relations: Working Together To Promote Peace--Secretary
Christopher
5. Meetings With Foreign Ministers and Heads Of Delegations: The Asia-
Pacific Region--Secretary Christopher, Joint Announcement
ARTICLE 1
The United Nations: The Momentum For Reform Must Accelerate
Secretary Christopher
Address at the 50th session of the UN General Assembly, New York, NY,
September 25, 1995
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, excellencies, distinguished
guests: It is a privilege to speak to you today on behalf of the United
States. A half-century ago, the General Assembly first met in New York--
across the river in a converted skating rink at Flushing Meadows. In
those modest surroundings, our predecessors began to put into place an
ambitious framework they hoped would keep the peace as successfully as
they had prosecuted the war.
In the years since, the United Nations has helped to bring peace,
prosperity, and hope to countless people around the world. Technological
change has brought nations closer together than the UN's founders could
possibly have foreseen. The United Nations itself has been challenged in
unforeseen ways. It has had to manage complex humanitarian emergencies,
from civil wars to the mass movement of refugees to health epidemics.
This evolution has placed great strains on the organization and revealed
the necessity for far-reaching change in how it is run.
The Clinton Administration has vigorously made the case to our Congress
and our people for continued American leadership at the UN. The United
States made a commitment to the UN Charter 50 years ago. We are
determined to keep our commitment, including our financial obligations.
We will always remember that for millions of people around the world,
the UN is far from a faceless institution: It is, as Harry Truman once
said, "a case of food or a box of school books; it is a doctor who
vaccinates their children; it is an expert who shows them how to raise
more rice, or more wheat." To millions more, it is the difference be-
tween peace and war.
Economic and social development, as well as protection of human rights,
remain central to the UN's mission. But the UN must change to meet these
needs more effectively. When money is wasted in New York, Geneva, or
Vienna, and when time is lost to bureaucratic inertia, the people who
pay the price are those most vulnerable to famine, disease, and
violence.
It is time to recognize that the UN must direct its limited resources to
the world's highest priorities, focusing on the tasks that it performs
best. The UN's bureaucracy should be smaller, with a clear
organizational structure and sharp lines of responsibility. Each program
must be held to a simple standard--that is, it must make a tangible
contribution to the freedom, security, and well-being of real people in
the real world.
In the last two years, under the leadership of Secretary General
Boutros-Ghali, the groundwork for substantial change has been laid. The
UN has an office with the functions of an inspector general and a
mandate to crack down on waste and fraud. Under Secretary General Joe
Connor has embarked on an aggressive campaign to improve the UN's
management culture, and we fully support his work. The UN Secretariat
has moved in the right direction by submitting a budget that begins to
restrain spending. Now the momentum for reform must accelerate. Let me
propose a concrete agenda.
First, we must end UN programs that have achieved their purpose, and
consolidate programs that overlap, especially in the economic and social
agencies. The UN has more than a dozen organizations responsible for
development, emergency response, and statistical reporting. We should
consider establishing a single agency for each of these functions. We
should downsize the UN's regional economic commissions. We should ensure
that the functions of the UN Conference on Trade and Development do not
duplicate the new WTO. And we should adopt a moratorium on big UN
conferences once the present series is completed, concentrating
instead on meeting the commitments of those we have held.
Second, we need to streamline the UN Secretariat to make it more
efficient, accountable, and transparent. Each part of the UN system
should be subject to the scrutiny of an inspector general. The UN must
not tolerate ethical or financial abuses and its managers should be
appointed and promoted on the basis of merit.
Third, we should rigorously scrutinize proposals for new and extended
peacekeeping missions and we should improve the UN's ability to respond
rapidly when new missions are approved. We must agree on an equitable
scale of peacekeeping assessments that reflects today's economic
realities. And we should have a unified budget for peacekeeping
operations.
Finally, we must maintain the effectiveness of the Security Council.
Germany and Japan should become permanent members. We should ensure that
all the world's regions are fairly represented, without making the
Council unwieldy.
We welcome the formation of the high-level group on reform, initiated
under the leadership of outgoing General Assembly President Essy. Our
goal must be that a feasible blueprint for UN reform will be adopted
before the General Assembly's 50th session finishes work next fall. The
way forward is clear: We have already seen countless studies and
reports. The time has come to act on the best proposals.
As you know, in my country there have been serious efforts to curtail
our support for the United Nations. President Clinton and I and the
entire Administration believe it would be reckless to turn away from an
organization that helps mobilize the support of other nations for goals
that are consistent with American and global interests. But to sustain
support for the UN among the American people and the people of other
nations, it is not enough that we defend the institution. The best
argument against retreat is further reform. Tangible progress will help
us win the battle for UN support that we are waging in the United
States.
The United Nations must emerge from the reform process better able to
meet its fundamental goals, including the preservation of peace and
security. From Korea, to the Persian Gulf, to Haiti, the UN has provided
a mandate to its members as they carried out this responsibility. The
UN's own blue helmets have helped nations create the basic conditions of
peace in some of the most difficult situations imaginable, even though
they have not always achieved their intended purpose.
Recently, a young Haitian father was asked what peacekeeping forces had
achieved in his country. "We walk freely," he answered. "We sleep
quietly. There are no men who come for us in the night." In Haiti, as
for example in Cambodia, Mozambique, and El Salvador, the UN has shown
that peacekeeping, for all its limitations, has been an enormously
useful instrument.
One region where UN forces and the international community have played a
critical role is the Middle East. Another historic milestone will be
marked this Thursday in Washington when Israel and the Palestinians sign
their agreement to implement phase two of the Declaration of Principles.
That agreement will bring to life a goal first set in the Camp David
accords-- that is, to protect Israel's security and to give Palestinians
throughout the West Bank control over their daily lives. The
international community and the UN must continue to support this process
politically and economically.
Without a doubt, the UN has never undertaken a mission more difficult
than the one in the former Yugoslavia. The limitations of that mission
are well known. But we must also recognize that it has provided relief
for hundreds of thousands of people and saved thousands of lives. Today,
with diplomacy backed by force, the United States and the international
community are moving forward on a track that is producing genuinely
hopeful results. The United Nations and NATO are working together
effectively to bring peace to the region. On September 8 in Geneva, the
parties to the conflict accepted the fundamental goal the Security
Council has often expressed-- namely, the continuation of Bosnia-
Herzegovina as a single state within its current internationally
recognized borders. I will be meeting with the foreign ministers of
Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia later today and I will urge them to maintain
momentum toward peace and to establish constitutional structures for
Bosnia.
The framers of the UN Charter created this institution to meet threats
to peace and security posed by aggression and armed conflict. These
threats are still very much with us. But the world also faces a set of
new security challenges, including proliferation, terrorism,
international crime, and narcotics, as well as the far-reaching
consequences of damage to the environment. These have assumed a new and
dangerous scope in a more interdependent world. As President Clinton
said in San Francisco in June, the "new forces of integration carry
within them the seeds of disintegration and destruction."
While new technologies have brought us closer together, they have also
made it easier for terrorists, drug dealers, and other international
criminals to acquire weapons of mass destruction, to set up cocaine
cartels, and to hide their ill-gotten gains. The collapse of communism
has shattered dictatorships to be sure. But it has also left the
political and legal institutions of newly liberated nations even more
vulnerable to those who seek to subvert them.
Although these threats are sometimes sponsored by states, they
increasingly follow no flag. Each of us must vigorously fight these
enemies on our own. But we will never be truly secure until we
effectively fight them together. That is the new security challenge for
the global community. It must be the new security mission of the UN.
There is no area where the UN can make a more significant contribution
than in non-proliferation. Fifty years ago, the United States was the
only country capable of making a nuclear bomb. Today, many countries
have the technology that would enable them to turn a fist-sized chunk of
plutonium into a bomb as small as a suitcase. That is one reason why
more than 170 countries agreed last May to extend for all time the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That is an achievement that we must
build on. Let me outline some steps.
First, we should have a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty ready for
signature by the time we meet here next year. As President Clinton
announced last month, the United States is committed to a true zero-
yield test ban. We urge other nations to join us in that commitment.
Second, we should immediately start negotiations on a Fissile Material
Cutoff Treaty. Those who have been most vocal in calling for nuclear
disarmament should recognize that it is essential to ban future
production of fissile material for nuclear weapons.
Third, we should push forward with the historic reductions of the
nuclear arsenals of the United States and the countries of the former
Soviet Union. I call on the U.S. Senate, as well as the Russian Duma, to
approve the START II Treaty so that we can lock in deep cuts in our
strategic nuclear arsenals. In addition, Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin
are working together to ensure the safety, transparency, and
irreversibility of nuclear arms reductions.
As part of this process, President Yeltsin will host a Nuclear Safety
and Security Summit in Moscow next spring. This summit should have a
very ambitious agenda, including a declaration of principles on nuclear
reactor safety. We look to the summit to address the worldwide problem
of nuclear waste management, including ocean dumping. The summit should
also promote a plan of action to safeguard nuclear materials--a plan
which should include new measures to prevent criminals and terrorists
from acquiring nuclear material for use in weapons.
Finally, we should push for the earliest possible entry-into-force of
the Chemical Weapons Convention. President Clinton has urged the U.S.
Senate to act promptly on its ratification, and to stop holding it and
the START II Treaty hostage to unrelated issues. The world has witnessed
the effect of poison gas too many times in this century--on European
battlefields during World War I, in Ethiopia and Manchuria during the
1930s, and against Iranian soldiers and innocent Kurdish civilians in
the 1980s. The Chemical Weapons Convention will make every nation safer,
and we need it now.
The UN is also playing an invaluable role in focusing attention on
pressing regional proliferation problems. In Iraq, UNSCOM and its
chairman Rolf Ekeus continue to uncover horrific details about Saddam
Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq developed a deadly biological weapons
capacity hidden from view. It was conducting research to turn some of
the most toxic substances known to man into weapons of war. We know that
Saddam succeeded in putting anthrax and botulism in bombs and missile
warheads. In December 1990, he deployed these weapons with every intent
of using them against the international coalition and innocent
civilians. He was dissuaded only by the steadfast determination of the
United States and the international community.
In light of what Ambassador Ekeus has uncovered, we can only conclude
that for the last 41/2 years Saddam Hussein has lied about the full
scope of Iraq's weapons programs. There should be no easing of the
sanctions regime until the Iraqi Government complies with the demands of
the Security Council and demonstrates that it has changed its ways.
The UN should also promote responsibility and restraint in the transfer
of conventional weapons. Last year at the General Assembly, President
Clinton proposed, and the Assembly approved, the eventual elimination of
anti-personnel land-mines. On my recent trip to Cambodia, I saw the
terrible damage these hidden killers can do. This year, we will again
call on other countries to join us in ending the export of landmines.
Two years ago, President Clinton called on the international community
to devise a true international system that governs transfers of
conventional weapons and sensitive dual-use technologies. I am pleased
that the Russian Federation has joined with the United States and 26
other countries to agree on common principles to control the build-up of
dangerous conventional arms. We hope to activate this global regime,
called the New Forum, by the end of this year.
The proliferation of weapons has added a disturbing dimension to another
threat we all face: international terrorism. Indeed, this year's sarin
gas attack in Tokyo is a grim warning of what can happen when terrorists
acquire weapons of mass destruction.
More nations are joining the fight against those individuals and those
groups who attack civilians for political ends. The United Nations has
supported this effort in important ways. The UN Security Council
recognized the importance of countering state-sponsored terrorism by
imposing sanctions against Libya for the bombing of Pan Am 103 and UTA
772.
Terrorists should be treated as criminals and there must be no place
where they can hide from the consequences of their acts. States that
sponsor terrorists should feel the full weight of sanctions that can be
imposed by the international community. Let us not deceive ourselves:
Every dollar that goes into the government coffers of a state sponsor of
terrorism such as Iran helps pay for a terrorist's bullets or bombs.
Iran's role as the foremost state sponsor of terrorism makes its secret
quest for weapons of mass destruction even more alarming. We must stand
together to prevent Iran from acquiring such threatening capabilities.
The United States has taken a leading role in meeting the international
terrorist threat. We have intensified our sanctions against Iran. Last
January, President Clinton also issued an Executive Order prohibiting
financial transactions with terrorist groups and individuals who
threaten the Middle East peace process. We are urging our Congress to
tighten our immigration and criminal laws to keep terrorists on the run
or put them behind bars.
The United States strongly supports the counter-terrorism measures the
G-7 and Russia announced at the Halifax Summit, and we expect the P-8
Ministerial Meeting on Terrorism in Ottawa to produce a concrete action
plan to implement these measures.
Other kinds of international crime also threaten the safety of our
citizens and the fabric of our societies. And globalization brings new
and frightening dimensions to crime. The threat of crime is a particular
menace to young democracies. It weakens confidence in institutions,
preys on the most vulnerable, and undermines free market reform.
Of course, every country must take its own measures to combat these
threats. The Clinton Administration is now completing a review of our
approach to transnational crime that will lead to a stronger, more
coordinated attack on this problem.
To help other states deal with criminal threats, the United States and
Hungary have created the International Law Enforcement Academy in
Budapest to train police officers and law enforcement officials from
Central Europe and the states of the former Soviet Union. We are
providing similar help bilaterally and through the UN Drug Control
Program to countries whose laws are challenged by drug cartels.
A particularly insidious form of crime and corruption is money
laundering. All nations should implement recommendations by the OECD to
attack money laundering. The nations of this hemisphere should also
advance the anti-money laundering initiative introduced at last
December's Summit of the Americas. Together, we must squeeze the dirty
money out of our global financial system.
Through the UN's conventions on drugs and crime, the international
community has set strong standards that we must now enforce. We call on
UN member states who have not already joined the 1988 UN Drug Convention
to do so. Those countries who have approved the convention should move
quickly to implement its key provisions.
We are increasingly aware that damage to the environment and
unsustainable population growth threaten the security of our nations and
the well-being of our people. Their harmful effects are evident in
famines, infant mortality rates, refugee crises, and ozone depletion. In
places like Rwanda and Somalia, they contribute to civil wars and
emergencies that can only be resolved by costly international
intervention. We must carry out the commitments we made at last year's
Cairo Conference, and the Rio Conference three years ago.
Never have our problems been more complex. It has never been more
evident that these problems affect all nations--developed and developing
alike. Only by working together can we effectively deal with the new
threats we all face.
That is why, in this 50th anniversary year, we must shape the UN's
agenda as if we were creating the institution anew. Just as the UN's
founders devised a new framework to deter aggression and armed conflict,
the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, must now assign
the same priority to combating the threat posed by proliferation,
terrorism, international crime, narcotics, and environmental pollution.
We should dedicate our efforts in the UN and elsewhere to turning our
global consensus against these threats into concrete action. We must
renew and reform the United Nations not for its sake, but for our own.
Thank you very much. (###)
ARTICLE 2
Success of the NATO Air Campaign in Bosnia
Statement by President Clinton released by the White House, Office of
the Press Secretary, Denver, Colorado, September 20, 1995.
The UN and NATO commanders are in agreement that the Serbs have
completed the required withdrawal of heavy weapons from the exclusion
zone. The Sarajevo airport has been opened. UN and humanitarian traffic
is moving along the main routes into the city. Therefore, the commanders
have concluded that the NATO airstrikes can be discontinued. I welcome
this development. The NATO air campaign in Bosnia was successful.
But let me also repeat what I have said before: Renewed attacks on
Sarajevo or the other safe areas, or any Serb non-compliance with their
other commitments, will trigger a resumption of NATO airstrikes.
The results of NATO's and the UN's actions will help us achieve a
peaceful settlement in Bosnia. They show, once again, that firmness pays
off. We are all proud of the American and Allied air crews who conducted
the NATO operation with such bravery and skill.
All parties should now turn from the battlefield to the bargaining table
and complete a political settlement. Ambassador Holbrooke and his team
have made additional progress since the Geneva meeting 12 days ago. The
time has come to end the fighting for good and begin the task of
reconciliation and reconstruction in the Balkans. (###)
ARTICLE 3
Meetings With Foreign Ministers: Former Yugoslavia and Russia
Secretary Christopher
Former Yugoslavia
Opening remarks at press conference following meeting with Foreign
Ministers Muhamed Sacirbey of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mate Granic of
Croatia, and Milan Milutinovic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,
New York City, September 25, 1995.
I have just had a good meeting with the Foreign Ministers of the
Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, and the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia.
Based upon this meeting, I can tell you that the three foreign ministers
will be meeting tomorrow as originally scheduled with representatives of
the United States, the Contact Group, and the European Union. They will
be meeting to move forward in the political process, carrying Geneva, we
hope, another step forward.
Indeed, tomorrow's meeting will constitute an important step on the path
to peace that was laid out by President Clinton last month. There is a
real possibility now of moving forward, thanks to the actions of the
United States, the European Union, and the international community as a
whole, not to mention, of course, the parties themselves who are hard at
work.
As you know, on September 8, in Geneva all three parties agreed to and
accepted the continuation of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a
single state within its internationally accepted borders. Through the
efforts of the American negotiating team, the parties are now discussing
the constitutional issues that can move the Geneva agreement forward.
Those constitutional issues will determine how the Republic of Bosnia-
Herzegovina will function in the future. Today, I urged the parties to
redouble their efforts to stay on the path to peace.
I want to make clear here that the United States will oppose any
settlement in Bosnia-Herzegovina that would undermine its territorial
integrity or its continuation as a single state. We also expect that the
parties will meet their commitments to assure human rights throughout
Bosnia. All of Bosnia's citizens should have freedom of movement, and
displaced people should have the right to return to their homes.
The President has directed our negotiating team to return to the region
after tomorrow's meeting. They will stop first this time in Sarajevo. It
is our strong view that the time has come to end the fighting and end it
for good. We think the parties should focus all of their energies on
seeking a peaceful settlement. They will have the strong support of the
United States, of NATO, and of the entire international community.
Of course, many difficult issues remain to be resolved. Today's
promising developments will lead to a just and enduring peace only if
the parties continue to show the determination and flexibility that has
brought them this far.
Russia
Statement following meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev
at the Russian Mission to the UN, New York City, September 26, 1995
(opening remarks omitted).
It is very good to be here at the Russian home in New York and to once
again be with my friend, Andrei Kozyrev. He has correctly indicated that
at the top of our agenda will be talks for the preparation of the
important summit meeting coming up between our presidents in about a
month.
As Andrei said, through our joint efforts and the efforts of our
European Union colleagues, an important step was taken today in
connection with the rocky path toward peace in Bosnia when the Contact
Group met with the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Bosnia-
Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, and the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. The conclusion they reached was to establish a
constitutional basis for the Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the
future.
This agreement today crystallized the statement of the parties that
there will be a single Bosnian state with a single international
personality. The agreement today sets up a presidency and a parliament.
It provides for the holding of free and democratic elections. It grants
a number of responsibilities to the central government, particularly the
responsibility for conducting foreign affairs.
As the Foreign Minister said, Russia has played an important role in
these negotiations as a member of the Contact Group and through his
efforts to persuade the parties to take the steps they have down this
difficult road. Difficult questions lie ahead, but the important thing
is that we are working together on them effectively.
Another area where we have been working together is the Middle East
peace process, of which Russia and the United States are co-sponsors. I
think it is very important and significant that the Foreign Minister
will be with us in Washington on Thursday when the Israelis and the
Palestinians sign Phase II of the Declaration of Principles.
As the Foreign Minister said, one of the areas of cooperation between us
is the field of non-proliferation. We are going to be encouraging the
U.S. Senate--and we hope the Russian Government will encourage the Duma-
-to ratify the START II Treaty. We will be working together on a
Comprehensive Test Ban, which will be a very important issue for 1996,
and by the time we are here in 1996, I hope we can be ready for a
signature of the Comprehensive Test Ban with a zero yield.
So we have many areas of close cooperation. Where there are differences,
I think that we are learning better and better to manage them. I look
forward to useful discussions once again today. (###)
ARTICLE 4
U.S.-Ireland Relations: Working Together To Promote Peace
Secretary Christopher
Remarks following a bilateral meeting with Irish Deputy Prime
Minister/Foreign Minister Spring, New York City, September 25, 1995
I am very pleased to have had a chance to meet again with my good friend
Dick Spring, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ireland.
Our two countries have long enjoyed close historical and cultural ties.
Naturally enough, we talked about the support of the United States for
the efforts of the people of Northern Ireland and the Irish and British
Governments as they try to achieve a comprehensive peace and find a
solution to their long-standing problems.
Encouraging this effort, as you know, is one of the high priorities of
President Clinton and American diplomacy, and we are going to continue
to do that. Discussion of the peace process occupied, I would say, the
largest part of our meeting today.
The Foreign Minister was good enough to bring me up to date on Ireland's
recent efforts and the efforts of the parties to try to find a way
through the current impasse and to see if a dual-track approach might
offer some hope for a solution.
We certainly want to find some way to restore momentum to the peace
process. The United States stands ready to assist in any way that we
can, recognizing that the parties themselves have the primary obligation
to move the process forward.
We hope that the parties will find a way to engage in serious
discussions of the decommissioning issue. This is an issue at the heart
of the peace process. I hope the parties will be flexible and creative
in this area. I reiterated to the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister our willingness to be a participant in an international
commission if that would be useful.
We also discussed some other areas of the world, including today's
Bosnia discussions. Then we talked about President Clinton's anticipated
trip to Ireland later this year, to which the President is very much
looking forward. We hope that this trip will reflect our very strong
interest in economic development in Ireland. Former Senator Mitchell and
our Commerce Department are continuing to work actively to try to
promote economic development. We hope to advance the opportunities
highlighted by the White House Conference on trade and investment that
took place last May.
Mr. Minister, it is always a pleasure to be with you, and I thank you
very much for joining me today. (###)
ARTICLE 5
Meetings With Foreign Ministers And Heads of Delegations: The Asia-
Pacific Region
Secretary Christopher, Joint Announcement
Asia-Pacific Region
Address by Secretary Christopher before breakfast with heads of Asia-
Pacific delegations at the UN General Assembly, New York City, September
27, 1995 (opening remarks omitted).
As I have traveled around the Pacific, it seems to me that the changes
that have taken place in the Asia-Pacific region are genuinely
breathtaking. When the General Assembly first met 50 years ago, more
than half of the countries represented around the table here today were
not even members of the UN. In a half-century, nations that were
outposts of colonialism have become the newest frontiers and most
successful exponents of capitalism.
Incidentally, before I forget, Your Highness, I want to thank you very
much for the hospitality that you so generously gave to all of us in
Brunei.
As we see the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War,
American involvement in the region is deeper than ever before. President
Clinton is committed not only to maintaining our engagement in the
Pacific but to deepening it.
As I look back on the President's decision, made at our first APEC
meeting in Seattle, to have a leaders' dialogue, I think it will be seen
as historic. It changed the character and level of APEC and really
propelled it into becoming one of the world's great organizations.
A couple of months ago, before I left for Brunei, I made a speech in
which I laid out the elements of our strategy in the Asia-Pacific
region.
First, I emphasized that we will invigorate our core alliances with
Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand;
Second, we will pursue a policy of very active engagement with all of
the other countries in the Asia-Pacific region;
Third, we want to join you in building enduring mechanisms for
cooperation in the region--the ARF and the other entities that we are
working on; and
Fourth, the United States will continue to support democracy and human
rights.
The President is committed to maintaining approximately 100,000 troops
in the Asia-Pacific region-- about the same as our force levels in
Europe. We are dedicated to building up our relationships with all of
the nations of the Asia-Pacific region. We are very pleased to have here
today, for the first time, representatives from the South Pacific.
We are working together to build a sound architecture for regional
cooperation. I have been impressed with how much progress we have made
in two years in the Regional Forum under ASEAN leadership. I found the
discussions we had at the forum in Brunei very promising. They were
substantive. We tackled some difficult issues, and I think the exchange
on those difficult issues showed that this forum has real potential and
real promise. We are going to be co-chairing and hosting, along with
Singapore, the ARF intercessional meeting in Hawaii on search and rescue
issues.
We now have an opportunity to turn the principle of working together on
security issues into concrete action. We are responding to the threat
posed by the North Korean nuclear program. Thanks to the U.S.-North
Korean Agreed Framework, the nuclear program in North Korea remains
frozen. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been reduced.
In order to maintain this progress, we need to support what we call
KEDO--the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization. Many of the
nations here have participated, and I hope that others who have not
participated will join us in helping to defray the cost of KEDO. It is a
very good investment. The sums we are investing there are paying huge
dividends compared to what we would have to pay if the North Korean
nuclear program went ahead.
We are looking forward to the APEC meetings in Osaka. We have to sustain
the momentum toward a free trade area in the Asia-Pacific region by
2020. I was talking with Foreign Minister Kono about this last night. We
clearly want to have a vigorous blueprint for action that will carry the
Bogor Declaration forward. We will continue in that vein, and we also
want to work bilaterally with all of you to provide greater access for
greater trade.
We continue also to emphasize democracy. I was very pleased that the
First Lady, Mrs. Clinton, went to Mongolia. I am pleased to see the
Minister from Mongolia here this morning. I want to say that I greatly
appreciated being in Cambodia, Mr. Minister, and watching the progress
of your democracy; and I have seen some developments just within the
last few days that have been very encouraging to me. I know it is a
difficult road, and we all want to support you and do everything we can
to help you as you move through these difficult early years.
We have come a long distance together in the Asia-Pacific region, but we
have to go forward--deepen our dialogue, use the regional organizations
we have, show that APEC can really be effective. Thank you very much.
Japan
Remarks by Secretary Christopher at Two-plus-Two signing ceremony with
Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, U.S. Secretary of Defense William
Perry, and Japan Defense Agency Director-General Seishiro Eto, New York
City, September 27, 1995.
Good morning. Secretary Perry and I have been delighted this morning to
welcome the Foreign Minister and the Defense Minister to the United
States for the first Cabinet-level meeting of the United States-Japan
Security and Consultative Committee.
The U.S.-Japan partnership has been the cornerstone of our engagement in
the Asia-Pacific region. Fifty years ago, the United States made a
strategic choice to help Japan rebuild. Today, as a result of events
over the last 50 years, our alliance with a democratic and prosperous
Japan is one of the great success stories of the past decade. Today we
made a very strong alliance even stronger.
Our meetings today will ensure that the next five decades are as
successful as the last five decades have been. Our discussions also
helped lay the groundwork for what we are sure will be a very successful
visit by President Clinton to Osaka in November and then to a state
visit in Tokyo.
Today's meeting is the culmination of a year-long review of the U.S.-
Japan security relationship. With the Cold War over, the landscape of
the Asia-Pacific region has undergone a great transformation. But
through this far-reaching review, the United States and Japan have
concluded, not surprisingly, that we have an abiding community of
interest that continues to justify--indeed, requires for purposes of
stability in the region--our continued close cooperation.
The Special Measures Agreement which we have just signed today advances
those shared interests. It provides strong support for a continued U.S.
military presence in Japan. Indeed, the very substantial contribution
that Japan is making through this agreement is tangible proof of its
commitment to our alliance in this post-Cold War era.
Let me take just a moment to say how deeply distressed I was over the
tragic incident on Okinawa. I have mentioned to the Minister yesterday
and the two Ministers today my deep regret over this incident and
offered our apologies. Secretary Perry also will be addressing this
subject at somewhat greater length.
Our security ties with Japan undergird a broad and multifaceted
partnership with increasing global dimensions. In the past two years,
our two countries have cooperated to support reform in Russia, peace in
the Middle East, peace in Cambodia, and stability in Haiti.
Today we talked about Japan's increasing role in international
peacekeeping. We reviewed the situation on the Korean Peninsula where we
worked so closely and well together to stem the nuclear threat in North
Korea. Now we are working together in the execution and funding of KEDO.
Our talks today were productive across a very broad front, and I look
forward to working with our two Cabinet colleagues in the months and
years ahead as we carry forward this exceedingly important bilateral
relationship. Thank you very much.
Joint Announcement
Text of announcement by the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee,
New York City, September 27, 1995.
1. The Governments of Japan and the United States of America held the
20th Security Consultative Committee meeting in New York on September
27, 1995. Representing Japan were the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono and Minister of State and Director-
General of the Defense Agency Seishiro Eto. Representing the United
States were Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Secretary of
Defense William Perry. This was the first Security Consultative
Committee meeting which involved full Cabinet level representation on
both sides.
2. The two sides agreed that the President's visit to Japan in November
offers an historic opportunity to reaffirm the central importance of the
U.S.-Japan security alliance for both nations. Both Governments agreed
that as we look ahead in the post Cold War security environment, our
alliance is the critical factor for maintaining peace and stability in
the Asia-Pacific region. Recognizing their deep common interests, both
governments have examined the basis of the alliance through the year-
long U.S.-Japan Security Dialogue, and reaffirmed their mutual
commitment. The two sides agreed that the visit in November should set
forth the role of the security alliance in this new era.
3. The two sides welcomed the signing of the Special Measures Agreement.
They recognized that Japan's sustained commitment of Host Nation Support
is an important element to sustaining forward-deployed U.S. Forces in
Japan. This new agreement will make it possible to continue for the next
five years the cost-sharing programs under the present Special Measures
Agreement, with some improvement.
4. The Japanese side explained to the U.S. side the status of ongoing
GOJ discussions on the future Japanese defense posture.
5. The two sides acknowledged that the central factor for smooth
implementation of the Japan-U.S. Security Arrangements is to maintain
the harmonious use of the facilities and areas in Japan by the U.S.,
with the support of the general public. In this context, they renewed
their determination to make utmost efforts to minimize the impact of the
presence of the facilities and areas on the local communities.
The two sides discussed the situation surrounding the facilities and
areas in Okinawa and pledged to work intensively together to solve the
three priority issues as soon as possible.
Both sides deeply deplored the recent serious incident in Okinawa, and
recommitted themselves to work cooperatively and intensively in the
Joint Committee Study concerning the implementation of criminal
jurisdiction procedures under the Status of Forces Agreement. Pointing
to recent statements by President Clinton and Ambassador Mondale, U.S.
representatives reiterated their profound regret for this incident and
pledged to continue to cooperate fully with Japanese authorities on this
incident and to do their utmost to prevent a recurrence.
6. The two sides reviewed the advances made in various other fields of
bilateral security cooperation.
(1) They were satisfied that working-level discussions on a possible
framework for mutual logistical support (Acquisition and Cross
Servicing) had been useful and agreed to accelerate such discussions.
(2) They also noted with satisfaction that cooperation in acquisition
and defense technology exchange is progressing. They recognized that the
study on Ballistic Missile Defense has been conducted smoothly.
7. The two sides exchanged views and assessments on the situation in the
Asia-Pacific region. They confirmed that the two countries should
continue to closely coordinate their respective policies towards the
region to promote constructive relationships among the countries in the
region. The two sides noted with satisfaction that further progress had
been made in the area of security dialogue such as ASEAN Regional Forum
and bilateral defense exchanges. They also recognized the importance of
close consultations as well as concerted efforts on regional and global
security issues, such as United Nations peacekeeping operations.
8. Both sides shared the view that the Security Consultative Committee
provides an invaluable occasion for discussing all important matters in
the area of the security relationship between Japan and the U.S. and
agreed to continue their close consultations in this and other forums.
China
Remarks by Secretary Christopher prior to meeting with Chinese Vice
Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, New York City, September 27,
1995.
Good afternoon. It is a pleasure for me to welcome today my colleague,
Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen of China. I was struck by
the fact that this marks our 10th meeting in the last two years.
Our relationship with China is certainly one of the most important
bilateral relationships we have. Positive, good relations with China are
important to the people of both countries and the people of the region
and of the world as well.
More than 20 years ago, the United States and China made a strategic
choice to end more than two decades of confrontation. Since then, six
Democratic and Republican presidents alike have pursued a policy of
engagement with China that has proved to be in the enduring interests of
the United States, China, other countries in the region, and the world
as a whole. I believe the wisdom of that choice--the wisdom of that
policy of engagement--has been confirmed many times over.
It is true that our important relationship experienced a period of
difficulty this summer. However, at last month's ASEAN Regional Forum
meeting in Brunei, Foreign Minister Qian Qichen and I had a good
discussion of the relations between the United States and China. I
believe those discussions, together with several communications between
the Foreign Minister and me, have helped to restore the positive
momentum in our relations. I am going to reiterate to the Minister today
that the United States has not and does not intend to change its long-
standing one-China policy.
In our talks today, the Foreign Minister and I will discuss a broad
range of interests where our cooperation is essential. Certainly one of
those is the field of nuclear non-proliferation. We must work to prevent
the spread of nuclear and missile technology, especially to the volatile
regions of the world.
I think we should build on the cooperation we had in the extension of
the Non-Proliferation Treaty to conclude a Comprehensive Test Ban next
year. I also look forward to discussing with the Minister the problems
we have discussed before involving the North Korean nuclear threat and
our efforts to ensure that North Korea's nuclear program remains frozen.
As the world's two largest economies, we share very important economic
interests, and we will be discussing that today. We staunchly support
China's accession to the World Trade Organization on commercially
acceptable terms. We are also committed to working with China and the
other members of APEC to promote economic growth and trade
liberalization.
Sometimes we have had differences. Sometimes we have had quite profound
disagreements on issues such as human rights. But both of our countries
accept that the best way to address those problems is through positive
and regular dialogue. Regular contacts are essential if our two
countries are going to maximize their cooperation in the many areas
where we agree and to manage the differences we have in areas where we
do not agree.
So the importance of this relationship makes it quite desirable that
meetings like this take place, and I am very glad to welcome to this
10th meeting the Foreign Minister, with whom I have had good
professional relations in the past. (###)
[END OF DISPATCH VOL. 6, NO. 40]
(###)
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