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Secretary Clinton’s Remarks En Route Abu Dhabi

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , on January 9, 2011| 12 Comments »

Secretary Clinton briefed her traveling press on the way to Abu Dhabi today.

Remarks En Route Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Traveling Press
Er Route Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
January 9, 2011

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, this trip is, in many ways, an important follow-up to one directly related trip and another that is equally significant but less direct. The first, of course, was a trip to Bahrain and the speech that I gave at Manama outlining our security agenda, and the countries I am visiting are all very strong partners in our security efforts, on counterterrorism, on the ongoing challenges posed by Iran, on dealing with the difficulties that we are working through as Iraq emerges into a sovereign, independent country, and so much else.

At the same time, I gave a speech in Krakow last summer in which I talked about the importance of countries including civil societies, respecting human rights, involving women, empowering their citizens, and we have been very focused on building a system following up on that speech and making clear that civil society in every country needs to be part of our engagement as well as more involved by their governments.

So in countries that I’m visiting I will be obviously meeting with leaders to continue the security dialogues that we are engaged in to talk through some of the challenges we face, but also reaching out very publicly to civil society and a lot of the activists and the NGOs that have been on the front lines working for change and a particular emphasis – it will not surprise you – on women and girls. So we’ll be working in every one of the countries on that kind of dual track.

I’ll be happy to answer your questions. I can’t talk about one of the countries except off the record and embargo for security reasons. So we can have some questions on the record, but then we should go off the record and talk further. Okay?

QUESTION: Can I ask about Iran? Two questions.

QUESTION: Oh, sorry. That’s the country. We can’t talk about that. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: You’ve already had one trip where you went to deal with fallout from WikiLeaks. You are visiting a couple of places where the leaders were quoted saying some very strong things about Iran. Do you expect you will have to do any further explanation, damage control, et cetera? That’s the first question.

The second question is: In light of what the outgoing Israeli intelligence chief said about potential slow-downs in the development of Iran’s nuclear program, is that going to be a theme? And do you feel – on some level feel that maybe the pressure has eased a tiny bit in terms of fears about Iran?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, on the first question, Mark, I think I will be answering concerns about WikiLeaks until the end of my life, not just the end of my tenure as Secretary of State. I’ve told my team that I want to get one of those really sharp looking jackets that rock-and-roll groups have on tours. And I could have a big picture of the world, and it could say “The Apology Tour,” because I have been very, very much involved in reaching out to leaders and others who have concerns about either the general message of our confidential communications being exposed in this way or specific questions about their country or themselves.

It – that aspect of it has receded a lot. I’ve done an enormous amount of work, as have other members of our government, but it still is in the atmosphere. So I think it is always better to affirmatively raise it, set forth the concerns that we know our friends have. And as you pointed out in an article you wrote a few days ago, there are some specific very serious issues that we are going to be dealing with over the months ahead.

Now, regarding the assessments, the public assessments by the retiring head of the Israeli intelligence agency and other assessments that were publicly discussed by members of the Israeli Government or Knesset, those assessments are ones that they’ve made based on their own analysis. But we obviously – not just the United States, but many of our international partners – have an ongoing, intense, robust discussion about Iran, about Iran’s actions, Iran’s intentions, and it’s especially important to be engaged in that because information comes to life that impacts our analysis and the conclusions we draw from it.

The timeline is not so important as the international effort to try to ensure that, whatever the timeline, Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons. I don’t know that it gives much comfort to somebody who is in the Gulf or is in a country that Iran has vowed to destroy that it’s a one-year or three-year timeframe. So I think we should keep the focus where it belongs – on the intensive international effort certainly highlighted by the sanctions, which we believe have had a very significant impact.

The upcoming P-5+1 meeting in Istanbul where we have all who are participating made it clear to the Iranians that the address for nuclear inspections is the IAEA, not individual countries, and that the forum for discussing this and other issues with the international community is the P-5+1.

QUESTION: Are you –

QUESTION: (Inaudible) with Iran. So how do you (inaudible) that wanting them to be very strict on sanctions, but it seems like they have to deal with Iran as a neighbor and (inaudible).

QUESTION: And tied to that, are you worried that – when the Israeli assessment comes out, I can see some of these folks saying, “Hey, well, this bomb won’t come around for five or six years. (Inaudible) to keep the pressure on (inaudible).”

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first to both Jill and Jay, I think the point is that these countries that have significant economic relations with Iran have been very responsive up to now. We do keep the pressure on all the time because the Iranians are always looking for way out of the impact of the sanctions. They’re always trying to figure out, “Well, if this bank shut us down, what bank can we do business with?” So we have had a consistent message to our friends in the Gulf that there is no part of the world that has more at stake than trying to deter Iran from becoming the creator and possessor of nuclear weapons than you.

So on the balance sheet, we’ve seen a lot of positive actions, but it will certainly be an issue that I will raise in all the countries that I visit because we want to keep that pressure on. And to go to Jay’s point, we don’t want anyone to be misled by anyone’s intelligence analysis. This remains a serious concern, and we expect all of our partners who share that concern, as these countries certainly do, to stay as focused as they can and to do everything within reason that will help to implement these sanctions. And I think that the balance is that they have done a lot, some more than others, and there is always more to do, but they are certainly very serious about trying to achieve the objective that the sanctions is pointed in.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: I had a – what I thought of us a substantive and reassuring meeting with Prime Minister Hariri. I was impressed by his resolve and his understanding of the very difficult situation in which his country finds itself. We obviously, as you know, have been constant in our commitment to the tribunal and to the fundamental principle that Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence must be respected, and that is why we’re working hard with Saudi Arabia, France, and Egypt to form a strong foundation of support for Lebanon and, in particular, Prime Minister Hariri. So I thought it was a very positive discussion.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Continuing support which we are going to provide.

QUESTION: On the Middle East, in the absence of direct talks, Palestinians are taking their case to the UN and they’re going to ask (inaudible) resolution (inaudible). And I wonder what message you’re telling both Arab leaders about that and when you’re expecting (inaudible).

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Michelle, we continue to believe strongly that New York is not the place to resolve the long-standing conflict and outstanding issues between the Israelis and the Palestinians. We do not think that that is a productive path for the Palestinians or anyone to pursue. The Palestinians are aware of our position as are everyone else. But we also believe that a concerted effort to enable the parties to return to negotiations that will permit them to make progress together is in everyone’s interests. So we are tireless in our efforts to try to bring that about.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) how happy are you with the Gulf countries’ attitude toward the new Iraqi Government?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think it’s improving, and I would like to see more improvements, and I will certainly raise that with the leaders I speak with. I would like to see every country open an embassy. I’d like to see normal relations. I’d like to see the leaders of Iraq invited and consulted. I hope that when I’m in Doha we’ll have a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and that will be one of the issues on the agenda as far as I’m concerned. So it’s slowly, but I think positively making progress. So let me go off the record. Is that all right with everybody?

# # #

She also released the following statement on the demolition of the Shepherd’s Hotel in East Jerusalem.

Demolition of the Shepherd’s Hotel

Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 9, 2011

We are very concerned about the initiation of demolition of the Shepherd’s Hotel in East Jerusalem. This disturbing development undermines peace efforts to achieve the two state-solution. In particular, this move contradicts the logic of a reasonable and necessary agreement between the parties on the status of Jerusalem. We believe that through good faith negotiations, the parties should mutually agree on an outcome that realizes the aspirations of both parties for Jerusalem, and safeguards its status for people around the world. Ultimately, the lack of a resolution to this conflict harms Israel, harms the Palestinians, and harms the U.S. and the international community. We will continue to press ahead with the parties to resolve the core issues, including Jerusalem, in the context of a peace agreement.

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Hillary, Bibi, and the NYC Marathon Take Two: Some Reviews

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on November 13, 2010| 8 Comments »


On a slow Hillary-Saturday, and I cannot think of a Hillary-Saturday more deserving to be slow than this one following her longest trip topped off by her marathon meeting on Thursday with Benjamin Netanyahu,  the question is what to post.  Well, it is not much of a question since clearly a lengthy meeting is likely to have an equally long wake.

Depending on whom you listen to, the meeting yielded more of the same (my original take) or perhaps some kind of a breakthrough.  I found these articles offering  different but not necessarily conflicting views on the exhaustive and exhausting meeting between Secretary Clinton and PM Netanyahu in NYC on Thursday.  The Zogby item, the more pessimistic of the two, offers historical depth.  The Rogin article tends to be more predictive.  All emphasis and editing are mine.

James Zogby, on Huffington Post,  speaks to anybody who thinks Obama is soft on Islam as well as to  the fundamentalist Christian types who want all of Jerusalem for Israel.   The settlement Zogby refers to extends to Bethlehem  where it is largely Christian Arabs who have been displaced.  Every time Middle East issues intensify as we approach the holidays, I think of how often I hear “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and how removed we are as a people from the fact that the descendants of the little shepherds who made their way to the manger that first Christmas night are among the displaced … from lands their stock had grazed for millennia.

He  offers an instructive chronology of the Har Homa settlement dating back more than 15 years to when, in his words, it was “Jabal Abul Ghnaim was a lovely green hill on the northern outskirts of Bethlehem.”    The strategy involved is clear.   Keep building and expanding around Jerusalem until no Palestinian land claim is possible.

James Zogby

President of the Arab American Institute, Author of “Arab Voices” (Palgrave Macmillan 10/10)

Posted: November 13, 2010 10:24 AM

Israel’s announcement, last week, of a radical expansion of Har Homa (an already massive settlement community between Jerusalem and Bethlehem) makes a mockery of the so-called “peace process”.

The episode has further served to reinforce the belief that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no interest in reaching a just peace with the Palestinians. This leopard has not changed his spots. Netanyahu remains a wily (and not always honest) manipulator, who at his core is a hard-line ideologue. At the same time, the Har Homa announcement serves as an uncomfortable reminder of U.S. impotence and the role this weakness has historically played in enabling Israel’s bad behavior.

Read the article>>>>

Secretary Clinton,  under the umbrella of Obama administration policy and therefore tied to the mantra of agreed land swaps,  comes out short on praise by Zogby, and at face values, the joint statement issued by her and Netanyahu appeared anticlimactic enough to me when I posted it on Thursday.

At the time, I had the impression that Mme. Secretary had labored unrelenting for all of those hours only to emerge with the same old positions in place, but perhaps not so!   Josh Rogin at The Cable offers what he dubs an inside glimpse at the substance and outcomes the meeting produced.

Inside the seven-hour Clinton-Netanyahu marathon meeting

Posted By Josh Rogin Friday, November 12, 2010 – 6:55 PM

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s seven-hour marathon meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday in New York could signal a turning point in the effort to revive the stalled Middle East peace talks, as the administration works to resolve the dispute over Israeli settlement building by turning the focus to borders and security.

The Obama administration’s latest strategy seems to have two main elements, according to a senior official’s read out of the meeting and analysis by current and former officials on both sides.  First, the Obama administration is offering Netanyahu as many security guarantees as possible in order to give the Israeli government increased confidence to move to a discussion of the borders that would delineate the two future states. Second, the administration wants to work toward an understanding on borders so that both sides can know where they can and can’t build for the duration of the peace process.

“If there in fact is progress in the next several months, I’m confident people will look back at this meeting between Secretary Clinton and Prime Minister Netanyahu as the foundation of the progress. It was that important,” former Congressman Robert Wexler, now the president of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, told The Cable.

SNIP

Wexler said that by virtue of the fact that the meeting was seven hours, it’s reasonable to assume that significant progress was made. “I think we’re very close to creating that magic formula that satisfies both the Israelis and the Palestinians to come back to the table.”

The head of the PLO mission in Washington, Maen Rashid Areikat, wasn’t so sure. He pointed to the boilerplate statement that Clinton and Netanyahu issued after the meeting as evidence that no real breakthrough was achieved.

SNIP

But Areikat endorsed the idea of discussing borders ahead of the settlements issue, saying that’s what the Palestinian side has been advocating all along.

I am in no way call a Mid-East buff who knows all sorts of nuances. The conflicts there have been going on my whole life, however, and if our hard-working Secretary of State has managed to open-sesame the magic door, I will be joyful.  Maybe this Christmas I will not feel so jaded even if settlements encroach on Bethlehem.  Perhaps people who have been pushed and shoved around can begin to have some hope of a permanent place and a nation.  Maybe, maybe there can be peace. If it comes on the wings of a beautiful archangel with long blonde hair, all the better. I always thought she could do it.

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Hillary, Bibi in the New York Marathon: Joint Statement at the Finish Line

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 11, 2010| 1 Comment »

Different sources have it at different durations, but by any measure, this was a whopper of a “crunch meeting.”  They began the day looking fresh and beaming.

Mme. Secretary joked about the “million pictures of us doing the handshake.”   One wonders how they appeared emerging after the second marathon to be run in NYC inside of a single week.  How many water bottles?

The Jerusalem Post has it at seven plus hours.

Netanyahu, Clinton meeting ends after 7 hours

By HILARY KRIEGER, TOVAH LAZAROFF,  JORDANA HORN 11/12/2010 01:08

Marathon bid held to find path to new peace talks; US Secretary of State calls the prime minister a “peacemaker”; Israeli officials call meetings “very serious,” say “everything is on the table.”

//

NEW YORK – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held talks that were “friendly and productive” and stressed the importance of continuing direct negotiations in pursuit of an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, according to a joint statement put out by the two governments Thursday evening.

Read the article>>>>


Laura Rozen at Politico has it a little shorter.

Clinton-Bibi hold marathon six hour meeting

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met for almost six hours with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Regency Hotel in New York today.

Following their marathon meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office and State Department sent out a joint statement, describing “good discussions” that involved “a friendly and productive exchange of views on both sides.”

Read the article>>>>

 

Here is the joint statement as released moments ago by the State Department.

Joint Statement of the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel and The Office of the Secretary of State of The United States

Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 11, 2010

 

 

Begin Text

‪‪Prime Minister Netanyahu and Secretary Clinton had a good discussion today, with a friendly and productive exchange of views on both sides. Secretary Clinton reiterated the United States’ unshakable commitment to Israel’s security and to peace in the region.

‪‪The Prime Minister and the Secretary agreed on the importance of continuing direct negotiations to achieve our goals. The Secretary reiterated that “the United States believes that through good-faith negotiations, the parties can mutually agree on an outcome which ends the conflict and reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state, based on the 1967 lines, with agreed swaps, and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders that reflect subsequent developments and meet Israeli security requirements.” Those requirements will be fully taken into account in any future peace agreement.

‪‪‪The discussions between the Prime Minister and the Secretary focused on creating the conditions for the resumption of direct negotiations aimed at producing a two-state solution. Their teams will work closely together in the coming days toward that end.

 

Well, that does not tell us anything that we have not seen before.  One thing we can surmise is that this was a tough meeting and all the issues were on the table.  Beyond that, we cannot really guess.  Given Mme. Secretary’s meeting yesterday with Egyptian FM Gheit and her teleconference with Palestinian PM Fayyad, points of view from those parties were surely represented.  We can only hope that reason will prevail in the best interests of everyone involved.

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Hillary Clinton’s Mid-East Charm Offensive: Remarks Before Her Meeting With Netanyahu

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 11, 2010| 12 Comments »

Well, the State Department is not issuing a public schedule, evidently, but despite the holiday, as the Army anthem goes, affairs of State and the duties of the Secretary of State keep rolling along without respite. As readers here are aware, Mme. Secretary spent the morning in what is being reported as a “crunch meeting” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Clinton, Israeli PM to meet amid settlement row

by Ron Bousso Ron Bousso Thu Nov 11, 7:46 am ET 

NEW YORK (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday as new strains between the two allies over Jewish settlements cloud hopes for further peace talks.

Ahead of the meeting, President Barack Obama and Clinton led global criticism of Israel’s latest plans to build 1,300 houses in occupied east Jerusalem, where the Palestinian wish to form the capital of their future state.

Read the article>>>>>

In that the State Department communications nerve center never shuts down and routinely issues communiques over weekends, I would expect that the holiday should not prevent a press release about the results of this meeting in a timely fashion. Should that be the case, the information will be posted on this blog.

Meanwhile, all we have are these images to fathom the tenor of this meeting as it got off to its start this morning. From the looks of things, Mme. Secretary was mounting another of her often successful “charm offensives.” She looks so optimistic and cheerful. Behind closed doors, however, my guess is that, while probably never turning off the 1000 watt smile, she added a layer of toughness. Her statement in her teleconference with Palestinian PM Fayyad yesterday was our stance in a nutshell. Big bright smile notwithstanding… here is what she said.

Before I address the subject of my announcement today, I want to also address what I know is on the minds of many of you. The United States was deeply disappointed by the announcement of advanced planning for new housing units in sensitive areas of East Jerusalem. This announcement was counterproductive to our efforts to resume negotiations between the parties.

**UPDATE** The State Department did issue their remarks.  See below the slideshow.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Remarks With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Before Their Meeting

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Regency Hotel
New York City
November 11, 2010

QUESTION: Madam Secretary, can I ask you a small question (inaudible)?

SECRETARY CLINTON: A small question? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: A little one.

SECRETARY CLINTON: A little one.

QUESTION: Why would you – why do you think the building in Jerusalem is counterproductive if it has been going on for more than 40 years now?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we’re going to be talking about everything and I will save my comments beyond what I’ve already said to talk to the prime minister. I’m very pleased to be here and to have this opportunity to discuss with him how we’re going to move forward in the process.

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Well, I’m very happy that we have the opportunity to actually meet. We’ve been talking on the phone quite intensively over the last few weeks. The last time we met was in Cairo and Jerusalem – in Sharm el-Sheikh and Jerusalem in the (inaudible) of direct negotiations. We’ve been talking and will talk today about how to resume them to continue this process to get the historic agreement with peace and security between us and the Palestinians. I would like to add that we also hope to broaden it to many other Arab countries. So this is our common goal. We’re quite serious about doing it and we want to get on with it, so you’ll have to stop asking questions.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) the resumption of the peace talks soon?

SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s what we’re going to be discussing. We’re both very committed to it. I know and I’ve said repeatedly that the prime minister and President Abbas are both very committed to the two-state solution and we’re going to find a way forward.

QUESTION: Is there a formula? Is there a formula (inaudible)?

SECRETARY CLINTON: You must have a million pictures of us doing the handshake. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Is there a formula that (inaudible)?

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much.

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Secretary Clinton’s Remarks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit After Their Meeting

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , on November 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Remarks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit After Their Meeting

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
November 10, 2010

 

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon. I am delighted, once again, to welcome the foreign minister and his distinguished delegation, including General Sulayman back to Washington. The foreign minister and I have developed a close and productive working relationship, and I always look forward to our discussions. 

The partnership between the United States and Egypt is a cornerstone of stability and security in the Middle East and beyond, and we look to Egypt for regional and global leadership on a wide range of issues. This is a relationship rooted in mutual respect and common interests and a history of cooperation and a shared vision for the future.

At the top of our list is a shared commitment to the goal of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians and a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. I greatly appreciate Egypt’s leadership in this effort, and in particular, I wish to commend the personal commitment of President Mubarak. We spoke about this issue at length, and I had the opportunity earlier today to speak with Prime Minister Fayyad when I announced an additional contribution of $150 million to the Palestinian Authority. So let me again thank Egypt for your many efforts toward peace and your constant support and advice.

We also discussed our shared hope that Iraqis will soon form an inclusive government that reflects the interests and the needs of the entire Iraqi population and shares power fairly and legitimately. Both the United States and Egypt are committed to the future of the Iraqi people and their efforts to build a stable, sovereign and self-reliant nation. We will continue working closely together to achieve that goal.

The foreign minister and I also agreed on the importance of a peaceful outcome for Sudan, a peaceful outcome between the North and the South, the need for the parties to make progress in their talks on outstanding issues, especially agreeing on a way forward for the Abyei region.

And on Lebanon, we reconfirmed our support for the work of the special tribunal and our shared commitment to strong, independent and stable Lebanon. And I want to emphasize that the foreign minister and I are absolutely clear that we are critical of and condemning of any efforts to discredit, hinder, or delay the tribunal’s work. That cannot be tolerated. The people of Lebanon, indeed the world, expect and deserve the highest standards of judicial independence and integrity, and I am pleased that the United States recently pledged additional funding to support the tribunal’s work.

The minister and I discussed many issues, and we have a very good and open basis for our conversation. It is important that we do everything we can at a particularly sensitive time in the region, to try to redouble our efforts to achieve a two-state solution, to help stabilize the situation in Sudan, and to work to ensure that the people of Lebanon can have accountability in the search for justice.

So Foreign Minister, I thank you for your partnership and look forward to continuing to work together.

FOREIGN MINISTER GHEIT: Thank you. Thank you very much, Secretary. I feel that you didn’t leave me anything to say —

SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s a first. (Laughter.)

FOREIGN MINISTER GHEIT: — after you covered everything. But I wish to say that President Mubarak asked General Sulayman and myself to come to Washington, and we maintain that kind of frequent visits coming to the American capital, as well as American officials, they keep coming to Egypt for that process – strategic process of consultations between Egypt and the United States, because both countries are working for the stability and the prevalent of peace in that part of – in that tormented part of the world, because I have to admit it is a tormented part of the world.

Today we engaged in a discussion on the American effort to bring both parties, the Palestinians and the Israelis, to come back to negotiations and we feel a certain satisfaction of – on the effort that America is doing and conducting. We gave them our point of view and we discussed with them at length the way we look at things, and I think they listened and they listened attentively.

At the same time, we discussed a range of other issues. We discussed Lebanon, the need for the stability of Lebanon, the need for the tribunal to continue its legal work. The tribunal has been established by the Security Council of the United Nations. Then it is a body that no one can disband or disregard. We also discussed the situation in Sudan, the Egyptian ideas, the American ideas, how to ensure that Sudan reaches the point of conducting a proper transparent referendum without violence and that there should not be violence after the results of the referendum has been revealed or established.

We also had our discussions on Iraq and the need to see, hopefully soon, an Iraqi Government whereby all Iraqi factions and all Iraqi (inaudible) would be participants to such a government in order to ensure stability and peace in that brotherly country. I think it was amongst the best discussions we had over a long period of time. And I think such discussions would reveal a prosperous future soon hopefully.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll begin with Mark Landler of The New York Times.

QUESTION: Good afternoon, Madam Secretary. A question for you: Israel’s announcement on new housing in East Jerusalem prompted the Palestinians to declare again that they may contemplate the idea of declaring statehood unilaterally. Are you concerned that with this continuing impasse on the issue of settlements that there is a danger that that could indeed happen? And what message would you give them in light of the lack of progress on the talks?

And if I could just tack one on on Iran, the Iranians have talked about a meeting in Turkey to discuss a number of issues. Given the U.S.’s declared preference for the P-5+1 structure, how would you react to the prospect of a meeting in Turkey that could include the Turks and perhaps even the Brazilians as participants?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Mark, as to the first question, we have always said and I continue to say that negotiations between the parties is the only means by which all of the outstanding claims arising out of the conflict can be resolved. There is no doubt in my mind that in order to conclude an agreement, the parties must discuss the final status issues. And we would urge both parties to commence, once again, such a discussion. Each party has a very strong set of opinions about the way forward. There can be no progress until they actually come together and explore where areas of agreement are and how to narrow areas of disagreement. So we do not support unilateral steps by either party that could prejudge the outcome of such negotiations.

It remains my belief, and I said it again this morning, that both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas want to see a conclusion of negotiations that leads to a two-state solution, Israel living in security, the Palestinians living within their own state. The only way to get there is to have these negotiations, and the United States stands ready to do everything we can to support that.

With respect to Iran, I spoke yesterday with the European Union High Representative Cathy Ashton. She is the person who will determine on behalf of the P-5+1 when and where we would meet with the Iranians. And that is the first meeting that must occur. It is a P-5+1 meeting with the Iranians. And the location has been discussed, and I believe that High Representative Ashton will be responding to the Iranians about where that should be and on what date. But at this moment, the offer of discussions with the Iranians is in that forum and that is the appropriate venue for any discussion on any issue to occur.

MR. CROWLEY: Ezzat Ibrahim from Al-Ahram

QUESTION: Secretary Clinton, what about the policy shift of the United States toward the case of Abyei region in Sudan, that in the last couple of days we are witnessing a lot of changes in the U.S. position.

And my question to Minister Aboul Gheit about the – what did you raise today about the Egyptian ideas concerning the relaunching of negotiation between Israel and Palestinians? Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I will start. And the United States has not changed our position about the fundamental core issue, which is that the North and South have to make an agreement to move forward. And not only do they have to make an agreement about how they will proceed in what form they will move into the future, but all the issues that have to be resolved going forward. So I know that there is an upcoming referendum. No matter what happens in that referendum, it is our view that the parties still have a lot of issues to work out together.

And what we have been trying to do, what the Egyptians have been trying to do, what the African Union has been trying to do, and so many others, is to bring the parties together to carefully think through all of the issues that they have to work out together. I think the best description is that either they’re going to stay married and get along better or they’re going to get divorced and it needs to be a peaceful, civil divorce. And in any event, there has to be a lot of careful thought about how they’re going to live together, because just – it’s simple to say the land is not going to break apart. They’re going to still be connected, and they have to work out all of the issues between the two of them.

And as to Abyei, what we have said is we want to see the issues resolved. And perhaps the issues can be resolved before the referendum, because if they have a referendum then they’re going to have to resolve the issues after the referendum. So there’s an enormous amount of work going on and a lot of pressure from all the neighbors and many others who are trying to bring the two parties to sit down and negotiate through all the various issues that they must decide in order to have a peaceful outcome.

FOREIGN MINISTER GHEIT: Yes, you do not expect me to reveal to you what we brought to the United States in discussions with the Americans on the peace effort, or else we would be advising them or consulting with them in public and that should not be the case. However, yes, I cannot reveal to you what we discussed. However, I have to tell you that we are concerned. We are concerned because we feel that Israel is not doing what is required on the Israeli side to do. That is one aspect.

Second, we feel that the Americans are doing a real effort, and that effort should be enhanced and buttressed by countries like Egypt.

Then, thirdly, we discussed with them the issue of the Arab League and the future activities of the Arab Peace Committee and when to meet and how to handle the situation.

Fourth, and that is most important, what are the possibilities for renewing negotiations and how would we ensure that such negotiations, when resumed, they do not be interrupted the way they have been interrupted three weeks after the meetings in Washington on the 2nd of September.

That is, in general, what we discussed.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER GHEIT: Thank you very much.

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Secretary Clinton Announces Transfer of Budget Assistance Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , on November 10, 2010| 4 Comments »

Mme. Secretary is back on her high wire this week. Tomorrow she meets with Netanyahu in NYC. It would be really nice if, after that, she were just to go home for the weekend, but the last time she was in NYC on a Thursday, she went back to DC for a full Friday. I cannot win! She pays no attention to what I wish!

Announcement of the Transfer of Budget Assistance Funds to the Palestinian Authority

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad
Via Satellite
Washington, DC
November 10, 2010

 

 

MR. CROWLEY: Good morning and welcome to the Department of State. We have a global traveler back with us after 30,000 air miles in the Asia region. But clearly, what the Secretary will talk about today underscores our ongoing, significant commitment to the Palestinian Authority and to helping build the institutions of the Palestinian Authority as we continue to press the parties for direct negotiations.

But without further ado, Madam Secretary.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, P.J., and good morning, everybody. Now, are we going to have the prime minister on the screen?

STAFF: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: There he is. (Laughter.) Hello. Well, I am delighted to see Prime Minister Fayyad, and this link-up is the next best thing to being together in person. And I welcome our guests here in Washington and say hello to everyone in Ramallah.

Before I address the subject of my announcement today, I want to also address what I know is on the minds of many of you. The United States was deeply disappointed by the announcement of advanced planning for new housing units in sensitive areas of East Jerusalem. This announcement was counterproductive to our efforts to resume negotiations between the parties. We have long urged both parties to avoid actions which could undermine trust, including in Jerusalem. We will continue to work to resume negotiations to address this and other final status issues.

We, along with many others, are working every day, indeed every hour, to help create the conditions for negotiations to succeed. We still believe that a positive outcome is both possible and necessary. I will be seeing Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow in New York and consultations continue on all sides and we will persevere.

Now, as Prime Minister Fayyad understands so well, we have to move forward together simultaneously, and mutually reinforcing on two tracks – the hard work of negotiations and the hard work of building institutions and capacities. We need to work with the Palestinian Authority to support their efforts to build toward a future Palestinian state that is able to govern itself, uphold its responsibilities to provide for its own people, and ensure security. Progress on this second track gives confidence to negotiators, removes excuses for delay, and underscores that the Palestinian Authority has become a credible partner for peace.

Now, earlier this fall, I was able to visit Ramallah and see firsthand the continuing progress that the Palestinian Authority is making under President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. Thanks to their hard work, the Palestinian Authority is reversing a history of corruption and producing results that actually matter and improve the lives of Palestinians. As a result, new businesses are opening, taxes are being collected, services are being delivered, security is much improved and the economy is growing.

When you look around Ramallah and other Palestinian communities today, you see new buildings going up, professional police officers on the streets, and a sense of opportunity and purpose. In fact, the World Bank recently concluded that if the Palestinian Authority maintains its momentum in building institutions and delivering public services, it is, and I quote, “well positioned for the establishment of a state at any point in the near future.” So I want to congratulate President Abbas and you, Prime Minister, on everything that your government has accomplished. It is a testament to your leadership and skill as well as to the talents and determination of the Palestinian people themselves.

Now, of course, the prime minister would be the first to say that all this progress remains tenuous and there is much more work to be done, and he would be right. Unemployment remains high, especially among young people. Smaller communities have yet to see the benefits of greater prosperity despite the increase in new businesses, the rise in tax receipts, and the generous contributions from the international community. The Palestinian Authority still faces a serious budget shortfall.

But the United States and our international partners are committed to supporting the Palestinian Authority as it works to overcome these challenges. So today, I am pleased to announce that the United States has transferred an additional $150 million in direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority. This brings our direct budget assistance to a total of $225 million for the year and our overall support and investment to nearly $600 million this year. This figure underscores the strong determination of the American people and this Administration to stand with our Palestinian friends even during difficult economic times, as we have here at home.

This new funding will help the Palestinian Authority pay down its debt, continue to deliver services and security to its people, and keep the progress going. It will support our work together to expand Palestinians’ access to schools, clinics, and clean drinking water in both the West Bank and Gaza. And it will allow Prime Minister Fayyad’s government to build and modernize courthouses and police stations, train judges and prosecutors, and launch new economic development initiatives.

Strict safeguards are in place to ensure the money will be used responsibly. The United States, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund all carefully monitor the use of donor funds and we have great confidence in Prime Minister Fayyad and his ability to provide accountability and transparency.

I am pleased that a number of our other partners have stepped forward recently and also increased their support for the Palestinian Authority. Saudi Arabia recently transferred an additional $100 million. The United Arab Emirates provided a funding infusion in September and the European Union also announced major new funding.

On my recent trip to Asia, I was encouraged to hear widespread support for the Palestinian Authority’s state building efforts underscoring, again, the global resonance of this issue. The United States will step up our work with partners like Japan, Malaysia, Australia, and others to find new ways to increase financial support for the Palestinian Authority. Now, unfortunately the Palestinian people still have some friends who prefer to support their aspirations with words rather than deeds. But that won’t put food on the table, create jobs, build credible institutions, or help speed the creation of a new state. Palestinians need results, not rhetoric. And they need partners willing to invest in their future. And that is exactly what the United States is doing. And together we are moving forward despite the challenges, and there are many.

We take confidence from the steady leadership and bold vision of President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. So let me thank the prime minister for his tireless efforts to realize the dreams of the Palestinian people and for being a consistent voice for progress and common sense. So now, Mr. Prime Minister, it’s your turn to say a few words. And we hope that our connection works better than it did the last time we tried this.

PRIME MINISTER FAYYAD: I sure hope so. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Very good.

PRIME MINISTER FAYYAD: We tested it. Let me first introduce my party here I have with me. First, Consul General of the United States Daniel Rubinstein, Head of – Director of USAID Mission, here Mr. Michael Harvey. I have also with me my colleague in government, Dr. Ali Jarbawi, our Minister of Planning. Documentation that pertains to the transfer has just been signed and concluded. So let me now begin, Madam Secretary, by once again thanking you for taking the time to be with us this morning your time, evening ours, to announce the transfer that you just announced of $150 million in support of the Palestinian Authority budget.

We really appreciate this assistance because it is highly responsive to our needs in two ways. First, in terms of the type of assistance, it being of the form of budget support is the kind of assistance that we need the most, as it helps us deal with the needs that we have to deal with and actually meet the duties, obligations, the responsibilities that we have to discharge in the course of doing the best we can in the interest of bringing about better life for our people. It also is highly responsive to our needs in the sense of its timeliness. As you well know, Madam Secretary, and we have talked about this a number of times, we have faced quite serious financial difficulty for the past few months that made our life extremely difficult in terms of meeting those obligations that we have in a timely fashion.

So the money and the substantial amount it is, the transfer, that is, of $150 million and the timeliness of it, could not really be better. We thank you very much for the responsiveness and also for splendid staff work on your part both in Washington as well as here to make this happen (inaudible) actually happen. It’s an opportunity for me to once again reiterate the Palestinian Authority’s deep appreciation for the longstanding support of the United States of our common development and adjustment and reform efforts. As a matter of fact, over a period – since the inception of Palestinian Authority, the United States has actually extended assistance in the total amount of about $3.5 billion over the period 1994 through 2010. About half of this money actually was made available over the past three years plus a few months. Half of that is in the form of budget support. And to be exact, $800 million of this total assistance has been over the past three years in the form of direct budgetary support. And this brings me to the second point.

Apart from the volume, the magnitude of this generous transfer, the form in which it was delivered, the modality of its delivery, meaning directly to our budget, underscores the confidence which once again the United States Government Congress also have in the integrity of our public finance system. We Palestinians take this as a matter of pride, immense pride, in fact. And in fact, it reflects the kind of progress that we have been able to make over the past few years in trying to get our institutions in the state of being – in the shape of being state ready.

Readiness for statehood is, in fact, the key objective of the program that we launched, Madame Secretary, in August of 2009 with the aim of completing the task of capacity building and also amass a critical mass of positive change on the ground in the form of maturing governance processes but also infrastructure of state. We are well on our way, also judging by that statement which you were kind to, as a matter of fact, read out today again by the World Bank about the expectation of us being ready for statehood at any point in the near future on the strength of what we have been able to accomplish over the first half of this three-year program. So we are well on track. We are determined to stay the course despite the difficulties and obstacles that we continue to have to contend with every day. Nevertheless, we, as I said, remain hopeful that we are actually going to be state ready come summer of 2011. It’s a goal that we are doing our (inaudible) best, in fact, to meet.

I said what I said about the U.S. assistance that has been made available in support of our budget, the direct budgetary assistance, but that is in addition, of course, to other forms of assistance that you have mentioned, Madam Secretary, that went a long way toward supporting the Palestinian Authority in various spheres of government and also infrastructure. I can tell you for sure without much difficulty that there is hardly any sign of visible progress on the ground in Palestine today that does not have the caring fingerprints of USAID on it.

I’m talking to you, Madam Secretary, and to your colleagues in Washington about, for example, physical infrastructure, including water, electricity, road networks. I’m talking to you also about social services, importantly, education, health, social assistance. I’m talking to you also about the assistance that you have so generously provided to help us with capacity building in all spheres of government, including security. I can go on, but as I said, there’s hardly a sign of visible progress that does not have a contribution of the United States Government associated with it.

We thank you very much. That has helped our effort, as a matter of fact. And over the past nearly three years now, just under three years, we’ve been able to implement some 1,700 small community development programs that have contributed remarkably to bringing about better living conditions for our people in spite of the occupation and its adversity.

As you mentioned, unemployment remains high. It has trended downward over this time period. It is lower than it was a couple of years ago, but it still remains high. It’s a challenge and we’re working very hard to reduce it further.

Poverty has declined by nearly one-third over the period 2007-2009, so there are, as a matter of fact, signs of progress, signs that are strongly suggestive of this effort being on track. And if, in fact, we were to continue with it, as we fully intend to do, we believe that we are actually going to see the tangible results that our people started to feel throughout the country. I’m talking about not only dwellers of urban areas, but I’m talking especially about people in rural areas, refugee camps throughout, areas that have been long marginalized and areas that have been so adversely affected by the construction of the separation wall as well as settlement activity.

So we appreciate the assistance. We appreciate the vote of confidence that comes with that. Let me also add, Madam Secretary, that we are doing this in addition to it being done in the context of this reform effort and adjustment effort and state-building effort, it also is important to happening in a context of declining need for external assistance. This is a key objective of ours and it defines very much the kind of thinking that we have insofar as economic viability is concerned, financial viability is concerned. I can tell you for sure that our need for exceptional financial support has already declined substantially from about $1.8 billion in 2008 to about $1.2 billion this year. That is a decline of about one-third in our reliance on external assistance and aid money. The prospect is for further reduction in 2011. In fact, we look to 2011 as the year in which we expect to make decisive (inaudible) towards attaining financial viability by end 2013, at which point we will no longer, we expect, need any more the kind of assistance that we are getting from you today in the form of direct budgetary assistance, which we hope will also be seen as a sign of maturity, maturing institutions of state, governments (inaudible) the kind of accomplishment and progress that you – and delivery that you expect countries that have been around a long time to be able to do but without considerable difficulty.

So here we are, Madam Secretary. We are well on our way trying to do the best we can in a highly challenging environment. The context is very difficult. I alluded to some of the difficulties that we have. I very much appreciate the statement that you made at the outset in relation to further announcement of yet another expansion of settlement activity in the Jerusalem area this time around, as it happened before. That remains a very serious challenge and a problem for all of us.

So therefore, Madam Secretary, in the period ahead we certainly will continue to look to you for continued strong leadership as you continue to try hard to put together elements that are necessary to have a strong political process, a credible political process, one that is capable of delivering that which we all want to see happen, an end to the Israeli occupation. And of course, the day will come when that state of Palestine will be born so our people can live in freedom and dignity in a country of our own. That’s what this is about, and we look to you again for continued strong leadership as we move forward down this path which has witnessed a great deal of difficulty. Nevertheless, we are determined and we remain hopeful on the strength of what we’ve been able to accomplish here and the hope and expectation that those (inaudible) along the path of state building and getting ready for statehood, on the strength of what that is expected to do by reinforcing the effort on the political process (inaudible).

Once again, Madam Secretary, on behalf of the Palestinian people, on behalf of President Abbas, Palestinian National Authority, my colleagues in government, I thank you personally for the effort that you have made to support us and for your continued and longstanding support, for the efforts of your colleagues. I thank President Obama, U.S. Congress, and of course, the American people for this largesse. Thank you so very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Prime Minister. We greatly appreciate your efforts and your very gracious words about our country and our support for you. Now I think I’m going to take a question here. Is that what’s happening?

MR. CROWLEY: (Inaudible.) You’ve got the meeting with the Vice President coming up.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Right. Well, I can probably take one question maybe. Okay.

QUESTION: Madam Secretary, we’ve seen all the controversy develop this week on settlements between the Israeli Government, the Palestinians, and the Administration. So what do you think you can achieve on that front by talking to Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow? And how do you assess the hope of resuming the peace talks at all?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I believe strongly that negotiations are the only means by which the parties will be able to conclude an agreement that will lead to a Palestinian state and Israel living in security with its neighbors. That is our view. That is our commitment. And I’m going to be speaking with the prime minister tomorrow once again about the way forward. I remain convinced that both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas want to realize the two-state solution. Like any very difficult political challenge, it is often hard to find the path forward. But we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to assist the parties in doing so.

Thank you all.

MR. CROWLEY: Thank you very much.

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This Week: On Hillary Clinton’s Agenda

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 8, 2010| 33 Comments »

It would be nice if this indicates that Mme. Secretary, who has worked tirelessly through three solid weeks, two “on the road” as it were, could remain in New York for the weekend after this meeting. The past two weekends were all work for her. It is time for a little R’n’R!

From today’s press briefing:

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
November 8, 2010

MR. CROWLEY:…She will do a number of things this week focused on Middle East peace.  On Wednesday, she will hold a video conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad.  She will also meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit.  And on Thursday, in New York, she will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.  The timing on the meeting Thursday is still a little bit up in the air, but we’ll have more to say about that tomorrow, I expect.

QUESTION: What location?

MR. CROWLEY: New York.  Again, more details to follow.  But that’s what I can tell you there.

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Video: Secretary Clinton on Upcoming Meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , on November 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Sunday Morning Prayers

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 26, 2010| 3 Comments »

In August, 1999 I landed in Tel Aviv late on a Sunday afternoon having been sent by my dean and assured that my credit card would be good.  By the time I got to the hotel  it was early evening,  and I discovered that to Israelis, Discover is not a credit card.  I was shocked, almost distrustful of my own ears when the hotel clerk told me to go down to the bank and use my ATM card.  “It’s open.  Go down the block.”  A bank open on a Sunday night?  Shalom!  Welcome to Israel!  In Israel, Saturday is the Sabbath, and Sunday is the equivalent of Monday here – first day of the work week.

If I remember correctly, during daylight savings time, there is a seven-hour difference between Tel Aviv time and EDT.  It is going on 6 p.m. there now.  The moratorium of the settlement freeze expires in about six hours.  I can tell you that Israel is finishing off an active work day.  There are a few possibilities.
1. Cranes are back in place for building to continue.
2. The moratorium expires, and building does not continue.
3. There is a political dust-up in Israel, with Foreign Minister Avigdor Leiberman inappropriately leading the movement to continue the building.  In my opinion this domestic issue is not his purview unless he is willing to go ahead and admit he is advocating the confiscation of Palestinian land.

If that last happens,  speculation is that Netanyahu loses his majority but joins forces with Tzipi Livni’s Likud party.  I admit, I do not understand much about how these parliamentary democracies work.

Anyway, this lovely Sunday, Bill Clinton is making a whirlwind tour of campaign stops in New England for friends of Hillary.   He will be in Connecticut for Blumenthal, Massachusetts for Barney Frank, Maine for Libby Mitchell.  If you think the turbo-Secretary is kicking back this Sunday, most assuredly, she is not.  She might be home, but she is certainly working the phones.  She met with Mahmoud Abbas on Friday and is doing her best to keep him at the table.  I honestly do think Bibi wants to make this work as well.  But there is no doubt that right in the middle is a pretty little angel of peace, and all of our prayers are with her and with all of them

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Video: Secretary Clinton’s Remarks With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2010| 1 Comment »

Remarks With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Marka Airbase
Amman, , Jordan
September 16, 2010

FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (In progress) here in Amman today. Secretary Clinton is a longtime friend of Jordan, a distinguished and remarkable international figure, a champion of peace and a multitude of (inaudible) causes, and indeed, as Secretary of State of the United States of America, an ally, a close friend, and supporter of Jordan. So I personally am grateful, Madam Secretary, for the excellent (inaudible) relationship which I have.
His Majesty King Abdullah the II had very productive conference and talks with Secretary Clinton earlier today. The talks, as you would all expect, focused on developments pertaining to the ongoing direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis that began in Washington on September 2nd and resumed in Sharm el-Sheikh and Jerusalem in the past two days. His Majesty reiterated Jordan’s firm, unwavering commitment to exert every effort to ensure the success of these negotiations and their fruitful conclusion with an agreed upon timeframe and the realization of the two-state solution whereupon independent, sovereign, territorially contiguous Palestinian state living side by side in security, peace, good neighborly relations, cooperation, and integration with Israel and the other countries of the region within a regional context that also leads to the achievement of comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace on the basis of internationally agreed upon terms of reference for Middle East peace and particularly the Arab Peace Initiative.
We are encouraged by the focused and concentrated course of direct negotiations thus far. President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu have met several times since the resumption of these direct talks on the 2nd of September. Secretary Clinton, who has presently attended several of these meetings herself with the two leaders, stated yesterday that the two sides have already delved into negotiations regarding all the core issues. And these core issues are Jerusalem, refugees, borders, security, and water. And of course, there is much discussion on settlements.
If you remember, Madam Secretary, many times when we have met in the past, we have spoken of the need to fast-track and pay special emphasis to borders and security, which may, in themselves, open the doors for a resolution of the – all points of contention.
As you all know, and needless to say, all these core issues are related to Jordan and its interests, and therefore we are happy that we are engaging with our friends on all fronts on this issue. And we are doing all that we can to ensure that this focused and concentrated engagement continues with a view of successfully concluding the negotiations and reaching agreement within one year.
We are grateful to President Obama, to Secretary Clinton, Senator Mitchell and his team for their relentless efforts, unshakable commitment, firm resolve, and deep engagement that contributed to the resumption of direct negotiations. We trust that this active engagement will continue and intensify as the leadership role of the United States in this endeavor is pivotal for its success, notwithstanding the fact that the parties themselves are the ones who eventually have to reach agreement. Nevertheless, the essential role of the United States in encouraging the parties and its continued active engagement in assisting them to surmount any obstacles is paramount. And on our behalf in Jordan and as His Majesty the King has stated, we will do our full share of the needed encouragement for the parties to arrive at an agreement and that the current negotiations will bring tangible progress and meaningful traction expeditiously and won’t become another open-ended process.
His Majesty the King stressed in his remarks during the event hosted by President Obama to launch direct negotiations in Washington that peace has eluded us for so long and that we must succeed this time in realizing the two-state solution and achieving comprehensive peace. The onus is on all of us to ensure that this endeavor succeeds, to make history and deliver the long-awaited peace and its dividends to the countries and peoples of the entire Middle East and to the world at large, which is united in its view that realizing the two-state solution and achieving comprehensive peace is a vital global interest and not only an interest for the countries and peoples of the region.
Goodwill, strong leadership, and matching words with action, and judging action rather than just words, is needed on the part of the parties to ensure success. Desisting from all provocative unilateral action and ensuring, Madam Secretary – and I think I speak on behalf of both of us – ensuring that nothing that is done or said derails this commitment and this effort. Success is very much contingent upon resurrecting mutual confidence and restoring faith on both sides of the divide.
On bilateral relations, I would like to say that this strategic relationship between us gets stronger by the day. We thank the United States for its support for Jordan on all levels. In my most recent meeting with the Secretary in Washington a couple of weeks ago, or just under a couple of weeks ago, we made serious headway on a range of issues. Particularly, I mentioned the nuclear cooperation agreement which is under discussion and hopefully nearing the end of that discussion, and we thank the United States for its strong and firm support for Jordan on that front.
And I think today in the meeting with His Majesty, the Secretary had some good news for Jordan, but I’ll let the Secretary talk about that. And I would just like to say, Madam Secretary, that – Hillary, if I may call you, you have many friends here in Jordan. You are no stronger to Jordan. You have people who admire you, admire your work and your commitment to peace. Welcome on this short visit, and I hope that the next one will be longer. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Please.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so very much. It is a great pleasure for me to be here not only with a colleague and counterpart foreign minister, but a friend. I have had an extraordinarily close and productive working relationship with Nasser Judeh. We have spent many hours talking about issues between our two countries in the region and indeed across the world. And I want personally to thank you for your constructive, constant contributions to all of the difficult issues that we are dealing with.
And so it is a pleasure to be back in Amman. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to meet with His Majesty King Abdullah II and the great pleasure of being hosted by the King and Queen for a private lunch, where we had a chance both to catch up personally but also to delve into the issues that Nasser has referenced.
The United States values our strong, close relationship, our very important partnership with Jordan. It is rooted in respect and common purpose. And today, I am very pleased to announce that yesterday a new Millennium Challenge Corporation compact was voted on that will invest more than $275 million in sustainable development here in Jordan. We worked very hard on this, and it was in partnership with the Jordanian Government that we looked at the needs that the people of Jordan have. We consulted broadly, outside even the Jordanian Government, with the private sector, with academics, experts, and others. And constantly, we heard, “Help Jordan deal with the water and waste water issues that affect people across the country.”
So this compact will help rehabilitate the water supply network, improve waste water collection and irrigation, and expand a key waste water treatment plant. This investment will create jobs for the people of Jordan, so it has the added benefit of not only building infrastructure that will help people in their homes, in their businesses, and provide a base for further economic development, but put people to work right now. And at the end, more than one million Jordanians will be supplied with safe and reliable access to clean drinking water for the very first time.
I want to thank the Government of Jordan for its close cooperation. These were highly technical decisions because they require a lot of expertise about what will work, and we could never have reached the decision to make this commitment without the guidance and leadership of Jordan.
We make this investment because we care about the people of Jordan. We make this investment because we believe investing in Jordan is good for the region and for the world. Jordan goes way above and beyond the call to duty. There’s a saying that Jordan punches above its weight. It may not be a huge population, but it has a commitment to excellence in so many areas.
Jordan has continued to help build a stable, sovereign, and self-reliant Iraq, and I want to thank the government and people of Jordan for the assistance that you give to Iraqi refugees. I know that that was a difficult responsibility to accept, but I thank you for carrying it forward.
I also thank the government and people of Jordan for your efforts on behalf of peacekeeping missions around the world, where Jordan has proven time and time again to be a force for peace and progress.
And of course, as Nasser said, Jordan is a crucial partner working to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and bring a comprehensive peace to the Middle East. We were honored to host King Abdullah II in Washington as these talks got underway, and I want to publicly thank him, as I privately have, for his contributions both to the resumption of direct negotiations and to the constructive beginning that has occurred. Jordan’s steadfast support for this process is essential. And today, His Majesty and I discussed ongoing negotiations and I expressed my confidence that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas can make the difficult decisions necessary to resolve all of the core issues within one year.
Ever since September 2nd, despite the fact that I have known both of these men for many years, I have spent hours and hours with them and watched them interact with each other. I’ve watched them talk and listen to each other. They are serious about this effort. They are committed and they have begun to grapple with the hard but necessary questions. I am convinced that this is the time and these are the leaders who can achieve the result we all seek: two states for two peoples, living in peace and security.
I am well aware there are many skeptics and doubters, and I appreciate the concerns that many throughout the region have. But I ask: What is the alternative? What is the alternative for the Palestinian people, who deserve to have their aspirations fulfilled in a sovereign, independent, viable state of their own? And what is the alternative for Israel, who asks that they get the security that they are seeking so that they can live side by side with their Palestinian neighbors?
We believe that not only is it important to pursue the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, but a comprehensive regional peace, the vision that is at the heart of the Arab Peace Initiative. And Nasser and I have spent a lot of time talking about the remarkable document that the Arab Peace Initiative is. I’m not sure many Arabs nor many Israelis have read it, and I would commend to you, particularly those of you in the media, read this document that was begun as a wholly Arab initiative. It was led by, it was written by, it was promulgated by Arab leaders. And it holds out the very promise that we seek.
And also, we are seeking to determine what direction we can head in order to pursue peace between Israel and Syria, and Israel and Lebanon. To this end, Senator Mitchell is on his way for consultations in Damascus and Beirut. We believe that progress toward regional peace will support and give confidence to the direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and also bring peace to those countries as well.
Now, I hope that we keep in mind what is possible, because I think peace is possible. And I also think peace is necessary. I will always remember watching the late King Hussein as he signed a treaty that ended decades of war with Israel. That was a historic achievement that continues to inspire me. And under the leadership of King Abdullah II, Jordan has continued to demonstrate its willingness to make difficult decisions in the name of peace that will lead to stability and security.
So with the commitment of an Israeli prime minister and a Palestinian president who both embrace the goal of a two-state solution, peace is once again within our reach. But it is really going to be up to all of us. The leaders may meet in the room and discuss these issues, the negotiators may debate around the table, but peace only comes from the people themselves. And I would ask that all of the people of this region do what you can to promote the possibility and then the reality of peace.
So again, let me thank Jordan and particularly my friend, the Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, for your leadership and your active involvement in the pursuit of this important goal – important for Jordan, for the Palestinian people, Israel, the United States, and all the world who cares about what we are achieving and attempting to accomplish here today. Thank you all very much.

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