Happy Birthday to Matt Lee! Secretary Clinton joked about his long
birthday. Shaun Tandon tweeted six hours ago that Mme. Secretary's plane
was back in the U.S. refueling in Alaska, and that it was freezing
outside. She must be almost home by now. Welcome home, Mme.
Secretary!
Press Availability in Vladivostok, Russia
Press Availability
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Consulate General Vladivostok
Vladivostok, Russia
September 9, 2012
SECRETARY CLINTON:
Good afternoon, everybody. Well, first, let me say how pleased I was to
visit Vladivostok, and to see the new university for this APEC meeting.
I was very delighted to attend on behalf of President Obama. Let me
just highlight a few of the developments, beginning with what APEC’s
members are doing to promote sustainable growth while preserving and
protecting our natural resources.
Last year in Honolulu, APEC
leaders committed to spark green growth by developing a list of
environmental products on which we would significantly reduce tariffs.
And here in Vladivostok, the leaders delivered on that commitment,
agreeing on a list that includes solar panels, gas, and wind turbines
and dozens more products. Today, tariffs on these products can run as
high as 35 percent. By 2015, APEC members will cut them to 5 percent or
less. By making green products more affordable and creating jobs
wherever they are manufactured, including in the United States, we hope
this decision will inspire other trading groups to emulate APEC’s record
of trade innovation.
Second, as leaders meet here in Russia, our
negotiating partners are engaged in intense diplomacy to advance the
Trans-Pacific Partnership, known as the TPP. This free trade agreement
is central to America’s economic vision in Asia. By reducing market
distortions and leveling the playing field, the TPP will raise the bar
for competition in a way that benefits every economy in the region,
whether it is an active partner in the TPP or not.
Third, APEC
members took important steps to promote food security. Record-breaking
droughts are driving up the price of corn, wheat, and other grains, with
the fear that people will be left without enough to eat. The APEC
leaders recognized we won’t solve this problem by banning or restricting
food exports; we need to ensure greater agricultural productivity, and
that food supplies reach the people who need them most, no matter where
they live.
Fourth, we continued our progress on an area that bears
directly on this region’s economic competitiveness, as a growing body
of evidence proves investing in women is great for the bottom line. The
APEC region is losing as much as $47 billion every year because of
barriers that keep women from fully participating in the economic and
political lives of their countries.
Now, I could list many more
areas where we have advanced our work. I’m especially pleased that APEC
leaders pledged to enhance our efforts to combat trafficking in illegal
wildlife. You’ve have seen the posters of tigers, and it is an issue I
discussed with President Putin, because it’s tigers and leopards, it’s
rhinos and elephants, and APEC leaders recognize we have to do so much
more in stopping poachers and stopping demand and consumption. We’ve
covered a lot of ground, and we look forward to working with our
Indonesian colleagues on these and other issues as they host APEC next
year.
I had the opportunity to meet with both President Putin and
Minister Lavrov yesterday. We discussed matters ranging from deepening
our economic ties to addressing the crisis in Syria. The Obama
Administration has been committed to strengthening our relationship with
Russia, and we are moving ahead in many areas. Yesterday we announced
joint initiatives on scientific research in Antarctica, cooperation
between our national parks, and partnerships among our state and local
governments. And today, our new visa agreement goes into force, freeing
up Russian and American businesses to spend less time doing paperwork
and more time trading, investing, and creating jobs.
However, I
have also said we would be frank about our differences. As I told both
the President and the Prime Minister – I mean, excuse me, the President
and the Foreign Minister, the United States disagrees with the approach
on Syria. We are concerned by new laws that could restrict civil
society, and by recent measures targeting people who have spoken out
about Russia’s democratic future. Domestic entrepreneurs and foreign
investors alike understand that in the 21st century,
political modernization can and does drive economic growth, and it can
create stronger societies and strengthen partnerships in pursuit of
shared goals.
So I very much appreciate the opportunity that I’ve had to be here, and I look forward to your questions.
MODERATOR: We’ll take three today. We’ll start with Matt Lee. Happy birthday, Matt Lee.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, happy birthday, Matt.
QUESTION: Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Wow. A red letter day.
QUESTION: A long birthday.
SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Yes, we are going to take you over many time zones. You can keep celebrating.
QUESTION: It might be another year by the time we –
SECRETARY CLINTON: Exactly.
QUESTION:
Madam Secretary, understanding that you didn’t make this trip with the
expectation that you were going to get either the Russians or the
Chinese to do a 180 and change their positions on Syria, Iran, or, in
fact, the South China Sea, after your discussions both here and in
Beijing, do you get the sense that there is any kind of traction or
movement, as we had toward the UN General Assembly, on Syria in
particular? And then – but also with – between ASEAN and China in the
South China Sea.
And then, also with the Russians, did you explore
with President Putin what his ambitions or aims and intents are in this
Look East policy? And do you think that the Russians can help? But – it
is all the same question. (Laughter.)
Do you think – I mean, do
you get the sense that the Russians are willing to play a positive role
in the territory in these disputes? It could be a calming influence in
the East China Sea. Thanks.
SECRETARY CLINTON:
Well, first, with respect to Syria, I made the international community’s
case again yesterday to both the Foreign Minister and the President
that we have to bring more pressure to bear on the Assad regime to end
the bloodshed and begin a political democratic transition. I will
continue to work with Foreign Minister Lavrov to see if we can revisit
the idea of putting the Syria transition plan that we agreed to in
Geneva earlier this summer into a Security Council resolution.
But
as I underscored yesterday with Foreign Minister Lavrov, that will only
be effective if it includes consequences for noncompliance. And there’s
no point passing a resolution with no teeth, because we’ve seen time
and time again that Assad will ignore it and keep attacking his own
people.
So if we can make progress in New York in the run-up to
the UN General Assembly, we will certainly try. But we have to be
realistic. We haven’t seen eye-to-eye with Russia on Syria. That may
continue. And if it does continue, then we will work with likeminded
states to support the Syrian opposition to hasten the day when Assad
falls, and to help prepare Syria for a democratic future and help it get
back on its feet again.
With respect to looking east, of course
those are – that question should be posed to the President, the Foreign
Minister, or other Russian officials. But we have no problem with Russia
playing a responsible role in Asia. In fact, we welcome it. Just as we
have told the Russians – and I told President Putin yesterday – the U.S.
wants to deepen our economic cooperation with Russia in Asia, in the
Far East.
American companies have made a number of significant
investments in the Russian Far East which support increasing opportunity
and development in this part of Russia. For example, ExxonMobil has a
very large oil and gas project that is worth about $10 billion in
investment, and it directly employs nearly 600 Russian citizens. With
over $7.7 billion in contracts awarded to Russian companies or joint
ventures, the project has also created many, many other jobs throughout
the region.
We are very committed to working with Russia,
particularly on economic growth and enhanced prosperity. In fact, later
this month, the Russian American Pacific Partnership Forum will be held
in Tacoma, Washington, to connect business and government leaders in an
effort to strengthen business ties between our Pacific Coast and the
United States and the Russian Far East.
So we’re really
supportive, and we want to see more travel between our two countries.
And now we anticipate – a recent announcement that was just held,
Vladivostok Air, with regular flights between Anchorage and – I think
it’s Kamchatka – I don’t know if I said that right. And that’s one of
the reasons why we liberalized visas. We want more business-to-business
connections, people-to-people connections, and bring our countries
closer together, and bring this part of Russia closer together to Alaska
and our West Coast.
MODERATOR: Next one from Dmitry Khrustalev with Rossiya 1, please.
QUESTION:
Secretary Clinton, (inaudible), United States are about to abolish or
cancel the Jackson-Vanik amendment. But at the same time, you are
turning now to approve the (inaudible). I ask why. Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON:
Well, first, let me start by saying the United States worked very hard
over the last three presidencies – my husband, George W. Bush, and
President Obama – to work to get Russia into the WTO. And in particular,
President Obama and this Administration were just tireless in working
with Russia and working with others who were already in the WTO to clear
the way for Russia to be a – finally, a member of WTO.
We think
expanding our trade, as I was just saying to the prior questioner, is
one of our top economic priorities. We think it’s good for Russia, we
think it’s good for the United States. And we are urging Congress to
terminate the application of Jackson-Vanik to Russia so that American
businesses can benefit from the WTO accession by Russia. I mean,
frankly, it’s somewhat ironic if we did so much work to help Russia get
into the WTO and then we are prohibited for our businesses to actually
work in Russia. So we have to clear the way on the Jackson-Vanik
amendment.
And with respect to the second part of your question, I
think it’s fair to say, as I said in my opening remarks, we do believe
that it’s important to promote the cause of human rights here in Russia,
and that members of Congress believe the same thing, and they are
particularly concerned about addressing the case of Mr. Magnitsky’s
wrongful death. So we continue to consult with Congress on this as they
consider two different drafts of legislation. I would note that the
United States Government, the Obama Administration, has already taken
important action to ensure that no one that we are told credibly was in
any way implicated in Mr. Magnitsky’s death can travel to the United
States already.
MODERATOR: Last one today, Shaun Tandon, AFP.
SECRETARY CLINTON:
Thank you, Madam Secretary. In the course of your 11-day trip to the
region, you’ve spoken a lot about boosting the U.S. role in Asia. But
two of the closest U.S. allies, Japan and the Republic of Korea, have
been at loggerheads over a territorial dispute of the disputed islands.
You’ve
met over the past couple of days with Prime Minister Noda of Japan and
President Lee of South Korea. Do you see any signs of hope in resolving
or at least managing this dispute? And what does it mean for U.S. policy
in the region to have these two members having so much difficulty?
SECRETARY CLINTON:
Well, Shaun, one of the valuable things about this long trip is that I
have had a chance to see so many leaders in the region. So whether we’re
talking about the South China Sea or the East China Sea, my message has
been the same to all of them. And now is the time for everyone to make
efforts to reduce the tensions and strengthen diplomatic involvement for
resolving these tensions.
And the United States is committed to
playing a constructive role based on clear principles which we have
consistently enunciated. We want to see the issues resolved through
diplomatic processes that lower tension, avoid any form of
confrontation, and lead to the ultimate resolution of what are very
longstanding disputes in a manner that is consistent with international
law.
Specifically with respect to our two good friends and allies,
Japan and the Republic of Korea, I raised these issues with both of
them, urging that their interests really lie in making sure that they
lower the temperature and work together in a concerted way, to have a
calm and restrained approach. And I think that’s being heard. There does
seem to be a recognition on the part of all of the leaders that this
region of the world is the economic engine in what is still a fragile
global economy. And we can’t let anything happen. It’s not in the
interests of any of the Asian countries, it’s certainly not in the
interest of the United States or the rest of the world to raise doubts
and uncertainties about the stability and peace in the region.
So
I’m committed to working closely with all of the countries involved. And
the United States will do what we can to try to ensure that these
longstanding disputes don’t become a significant problem for our friends
or for the broader region.
MODERATOR: Thank you all very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much. Okay. Thank you all.
