Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State: Remarks at the Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

Remarks at the Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

The United Nations

New York City

May 3, 2010

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SECRETARY CLINTON: I want to thank the Secretary General, Director General Amano, Ambassador Cabactulan, for their outstanding leadership in pulling together this Review Conference and addressing the challenges of nuclear proliferation.

As you know, President Obama has made reducing the threat posed by nuclear weapons and materials a central mission of our foreign policy, and the NPT lies at the core of that mission. I want to begin by reading a section of the message that President Obama has sent to this conference:

“For four decades, the NPT has been the cornerstone of our collective efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. But today, this regime is under increasing pressure. A year ago in Prague, I therefore made it a priority of the United States to strengthen each of the treaty’s key pillars as we work to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and to pursue the peace and security of a world without them.

“Today, the eyes of the world are upon us. Over the coming weeks, each of our nations will have the opportunity to show where we stand. Will we meet our responsibilities or shirk them? Will we ensure the rights of nations or undermine them? In short, do we seek a 21^st century of more nuclear weapons or a world without them? These are the questions we must answer and the challenges we must meet. At this conference and beyond, let us come together in partnership to pursue the peace and security that our people deserve.”

Now, President Obama and I know that there are many different perspectives and historical experiences represented in this room. We know there are doubts among some about whether nuclear weapons states, including my own country, are prepared to help lead this effort. I am here to tell you as clearly as I can: The United States will do its part. I represent a President and a country committed to a vision of a world without nuclear weapons and to taking the concrete steps necessary that will help us get there. And along with my delegation, I come to this conference with sincere and serious proposals to advance the fundamental aims of the NPT and strengthen the global nonproliferation regime.

Now, President Obama and I have spoken often of rights and responsibilities, and for us that’s not just a slogan; it is the guiding principles of our efforts. We recognize the rights of all countries in compliance with the treaty to realize the benefits of nuclear energy. And we recognize our responsibility to commit the resources that will help spread those benefits as widely as possible.

We also recognize our responsibility as a nuclear weapons state to move toward disarmament, and that is exactly what we are doing. And as we work to uphold our end of the basic bargain of the NPT, we are asking all signatories to do the same, to work with us to strengthen global nonproliferation rules and hold accountable those who violate them.

So as we begin this conference, let’s remember why we are here, because it is easy to get lost in the jargon and the technical disputes. But there is a deeper mission here to create a safer world where all of our children and grandchildren can realize their God-given potential without the threat of nuclear proliferation.

This meeting comes 40 years after the NPT first entered into force. At that time, the world was at a crossroads. President Kennedy had warned that by the year 1975, up to 20 countries might have nuclear weapons, and many said that nuclear proliferation was inevitable. Well, today we can be grateful that this treaty helped dispel the darkest predictions of that era and that a nuclear weapon has not been used in those four decades.

Yet as we recognize the significance of the NPT, we must also acknowledge that like our predecessors 40 years ago, we stand at a crossroads too. Once again, we face the prospect of a new wave of proliferation. Once again, we hear claims that the spread of nuclear weapons is unavoidable. And once again, some say we must learn to live with the fear and instability of a world with more and more nuclear-armed states and networks.

Now, today, the vast majority of states are living up to their nonproliferation obligations. But a few outliers have demonstrated a determination to violate the rules and defy the international community. During the past decade, one state said it was withdrawing from the NPT after being caught cheating and subsequently announced two nuclear tests. Another has cynically claimed to be abiding by the treaty while violating its safeguards, expanding its enrichment program, failing to cooperate with the IAEA, and ignoring the injunctions of the Security Council.

But amid these challenges, once again, most nations have the opportunity to choose a different path. And the message that President Obama delivered in Prague last year has a new urgency. Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something. And the world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons. Now, at this conference, it is time for a strong international response.

These Review Conferences have been held every five years for the last four decades, but too often they have fractured along familiar lines: nuclear weapons states versus non-nuclear-weapons states, or the Western Group versus the Non-Aligned Movement. Instead of working together to meet a common challenge, we have retreated into predictable positions to protect our presumed interest. This time must be different. As one minister said to me, “We not only must think out of the box, we must think out of the blocs.”

We know there are some countries who will choose not to be constructive. This morning, Iran’s president offered the same tired, false, and sometimes wild accusations against the United States and other parties at this conference. But that’s not surprising. As you all heard this morning, Iran will do whatever it can to divert attention away from its own record and to attempt to evade accountability. Ultimately, however, we will all be judged not for our words but for our actions. And we will all be measured not by how assertively we claim our rights but by how faithfully we uphold our responsibilities. And as the Secretary General said, in this regard the onus is on Iran. So far, it has failed to meet its burden. Iran is the only country represented in this hall that has been found by the IAEA Board of Governors to be currently in noncompliance with its nuclear safeguards obligations – the only one. It has defied the UN Security Council and the IAEA, and placed the future of the nonproliferation regime in jeopardy. And that is why it is facing increasing isolation and pressure from the international community.

But Iran will not succeed in its efforts to divert and divide. The United States and the great majority of the nations represented here come to this conference with a much larger agenda: to strengthen a global nonproliferation regime that advances the security of all nations, to advance both our rights and our responsibilities. So now is the time to focus on promoting practical solutions, not pursuing unrealistic agendas. Now is the time to build consensus, not to block it. And I call on Iran to join with all the other delegations represented at this meeting to go ahead and fulfill our international obligations and work toward the goal of a safer world.

The stakes are as high as they were at the dawn of the NPT. And we cannot fall into the ruts left over from old divisions. So rather than allow a small minority to focus attention on our differences, we must acknowledge we are all in this together and set a course for 40 more years of progress to stem the tide of proliferation, prevent the use of these weapons, and use nuclear power for the purpose of peace and prosperity.

So to realize this goal, we must recommit ourselves to strengthening the three pillars of the nonproliferation regime. And with respect to those three pillars – nuclear disarmament, access to civilian nuclear energy, and nonproliferation – this Administration, the United States has led through deeds, not simply through words. Our commitment to the NPT begins with our efforts to reduce the role and number of nuclear weapons in our own arsenal. When President Obama came into office, he recognized that the greatest potential danger facing the United States comes from a terrorist group like al-Qaida obtaining a crude nuclear device, not from a global nuclear war. And we know that the threats of the 21^st century cannot be addressed with a massive nuclear stockpile. So we are taking irreversible, transparent, verifiable steps to reduce the number of the nuclear weapons in our arsenal. Our new START treaty with Russia will limit the number of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by our countries to levels not seen since the 1950s. This agreement is consistent with the Secretary General’s call to pursue nuclear disarmament through agreement on a framework of separate, mutually reinforcing instruments.

Our Nuclear Posture Review ruled out the development of new U.S. nuclear weapons and new missions and capabilities for our existing weapons. It also stated we will not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapons states that are parties to the NPT and in compliance with their nuclear nonproliferation obligations. We have made a commitment to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and we are ready – past ready – to start multilateral negotiations on a verifiable Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty.

And today, I am announcing we will submit protocols to the United States Senate to ratify our participation in the nuclear-weapon-free zones that have been established in Africa and the South Pacific. Upon ratification, parties to those agreements will have a legally binding assurance that the United States will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against them, and will fully respect the nuclear-weapons-free status of the zones. And we are prepared to consult with the parties to the nuclear-weapons-free zones in Central and Southeast Asia, in an effort to reach agreement that would allow us to sign those protocols as well.

We support efforts to realize the goal of a weapons of mass destruction-free zone in the Middle East, in accordance with the 1995 Middle East Resolution. The Middle East may present the greatest threat of nuclear proliferation in the world today. Adherence to the NPT is not universal, and a few countries that are parties to the NPT have violated their treaty obligations. But in spite of these difficulties, we want to reaffirm our commitment to the objective of a Middle East free of these weapons of mass destruction, and we are prepared to support practical measures that will move us toward achieving that objective.

President Obama has made clear the Unites States will retain a nuclear deterrent for as long as nuclear weapons exist, one that can protect our country and our allies. But we will continue to seek further reductions and we will pursue concrete steps to improve the transparency of our nuclear arsenal. Beginning today, the United States will make public the number of nuclear weapons in our stockpile and the number of weapons we have dismantled since 1991.

So for those who doubt that the United States will do its part on disarmament, this is our record, these are our commitments, and they send a clear, unmistakable signal. We are also committed to bolstering another pillar: access to civilian nuclear energy. We unequivocally support the rights of states that are in compliance with the treaty to access nuclear technology and energy for peaceful purposes. The IAEA’s high-end projection for new nuclear capacity has nearly doubled since the last Review Conference five years ago. And the United States wants to help expand the ability of all states to utilize peaceful nuclear energy. Over the past decade, we’ve provided nearly $200 million to support the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Fund. We are the largest contributor to that effort. And it has helped more than 100 countries develop or expand the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Today, the President has asked me to announce that the United States will make an additional commitment of $50 million over the next five years for a new IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative. We hope other partners will match this contribution with an additional $50 million. We will use these resources to improve health care and nutrition, manage water resources, increase food security, and help countries develop the infrastructure for the safe and secure use of nuclear power.

We are pleased that the IAEA’s director general has made expanding use of civil nuclear energy for humanitarian purposes one of his signature initiatives. The United States is also strengthening bilateral technical cooperation arrangements with more than 40 states, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia.

But this treaty is weakened when a state flouts the rules and develops illicit nuclear weapons capabilities. So as we pursue progress on these pillars, we must recommit our nations to bolster the nonproliferation regime. When leaders of the IAEA ask for more resources and authority to carry out their mission of verifying compliance with nonproliferation obligations, we must respond. When the IAEA calls on states to sign and ratify an additional protocol to ensure that parties to the NPT are meeting their treaty obligations, we must act.

But improving the IAEA’s ability to detect safeguard violations is not enough. Potential violators must know that they will pay a high price if they break the rules, and that is certainly not the case today. The international community’s record of enforcing compliance in recent years is unacceptable. So we need to consider automatic penalties for the violation of safeguards agreements such as suspending all international nuclear cooperation or IAEA technical cooperation projects until compliance has been restored. And we must use all of the possible financial and legal tools to disrupt illicit proliferation networks. That means tightening controls on transshipment and enhancing restrictions on transfers of sensitive technology. We should also find ways to dissuade states from utilizing the treaty’s withdrawal provision to avoid accountability.

Now, I am not proposing to amend the treaty to limit the rights of states to withdraw. But we cannot stand by when a state committing treaty violations says it will pull out of the NPT in an attempt to escape penalties and even pursue nuclear weapons. Parties to the NPT have invested decades in building a global nonproliferation regime, and that work will be rendered meaningless if the international community continues allowing nations to break the rules of the NPT with impunity.

Our work at this conference must provide a foundation for future actions, including strengthening IAEA safeguards, negotiating a fissile material cutoff treaty at the Conference on Disarmament and toughening enforcement against proliferation violations at the UN Security Council.

The last 40 years have proved that nuclear proliferation is not inevitable. We believe it can be stopped, but it will take all of us here recognizing common dangers and finding common ground, rolling up our sleeves and getting creative, taking practical steps together in the next month.

A lot of skeptics out there say that when countries gather at the United Nations, nothing happens but a lot of words are used up. Well, it is up to us at this conference to prove those doubters wrong. Forty years from now, our successors will mark the 80^th anniversary of the Nonproliferation Treaty. And the men and women, who gather on that occasion in the new building, once it is finally completed, will not remember the words we speak today unless those words are matched by actions. But our children and our grandchildren will live with the consequences of what we decide this month. Whether the world is more or less secure depends on the path we take, and there is no greater reason than that to find a way to act together and to act decisively.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Photos: Secretary Clinton at United Nations NPT Conference Today

As we all know, Secretary Clinton lead the delegation to the opening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference Today. I am certain the text and video will be available later, but for now there are these photos for those in need of a Hillary fix.

Secretary Clinton's Remarks on World Press Freedom Day

In Jonathan Demme's The Agronomist, a tribute to Jean Dominque Haitian journalist and radio station owner assassinated at his studio 10 years ago, Dominique's widow, Michele Montas, makes a reference to World Press Freedom Day.

You may remember Michele from the Haiti Donors Conference this year where she spoke quite forcefully about Haitian task force's recommendations for rebuilding Haiti. Michele works for the United Nations in Haiti now, but I remember her and Jean as courageous journalists

So, today is World Press Freedom Day and below are the Secretary of State's remarks.

World Press Freedom Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 3, 2010

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The United States joins the international community in celebrating World Press Freedom Day. A free press is essential to an empowered citizenry, government accountability and responsible economic development. Wherever independent media are under threat, accountable governance and human freedom are undermined.
Courageous journalists across the globe risk their freedom and their lives to provide independent information on government actions and their consequences; report the news from conflict zones; expose crime, corruption and wrongdoing; and reveal human rights violations – all despite efforts, in some cases, by governments and others, to control what people read, hear and think.
For exercising the right to free expression, journalists and bloggers are too often targeted for harassment, intimidation, arrest, physical attack and even murder, often at the hands of unknown assailants who act with impunity. In November 2009, President Obama applauded the efforts of Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez to “empower fellow Cubans to express themselves through the use of technology” and said that her blog “provides the world a unique window into the realities of daily life in Cuba.” That same month she and two fellow bloggers were forcibly detained by plain clothes security personnel while en route to a peaceful demonstration, and she and one of her companions were beaten. Also in 2009, Burmese freelance journalist Hla Hla Win was sentenced to 27 years in prison on trumped-up charges based on nothing more than interviewing monks in commemoration of the Saffron Revolution. And Natalya Estemirova, an independent journalist from Russia who was known for her fearless reporting on human rights violations in Chechnya was kidnapped and murdered. In total, 71 journalists were killed last year, many murdered with impunity.
Governments in every region of the world apply restrictive laws and regulations and other controls on media freedom. These restrictions often extend beyond traditional print and broadcast media to new forms of electronic communications through the Internet and other new technologies. The State Department’s human rights report detailed our concerns about these practices.
Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights is as relevant in our globalized Information Age as it was when it was adopted over six decades ago: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” The United States is committed to working in partnership with members of the media, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and other concerned governments to defend freedom of expression and the brave journalists who are persecuted for exercising it on the challenging new terrain of the 21^st century.

SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON: Daily Appointments Schedule for May 3, 2010

Daily Appointments Schedule for May 3, 2010

Washington, DC

May 3, 2010

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SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON

Secretary Clinton, accompanied by Under Secretary Tauscher and Assistant Secretary Brimmer, leads the U.S. Delegation to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference, at the United Nations. For more information, click here.

10:30 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice and Ambassador Alejandro Wolff, at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

11:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton holds a Bilateral Meeting with Philippine Foreign Minister Alberto Romulo, at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
(CAMERA SPRAY PRECEDING BILATERAL MEETING)

12:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a Working Luncheon of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, at the TIAA CREFF Building.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

1:20 p.m. Secretary Clinton holds a Bilateral Meeting with Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe, at the TIAA CREFF Building.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

1:45 p.m. Secretary Clinton holds a Bilateral Meeting Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim, at the United Nations
(CAMERA SPRAY PRECEDING BILATERAL MEETING)

2:50 p.m. Secretary Clinton holds a Bilateral Meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Spindelegger, at the United Nations.
(CAMERA SPRAY PRECEDING BILATERAL MEETING)

3:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton delivers Remarks at the Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, at the United Nations.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)

4:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a Meeting, at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

5:20 p.m. Secretary Clinton holds a Press Availability, at the United Nations.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)

6:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a Reception hosted by Philippine Foreign Minister Romulo, at the United Nations.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

Secretary Clinton's Fact Sheets on Nuclear Non-Proliferation

The State Department has not posted a Daily Appointments Schedule so far today (OK, while I was posting this, they just did), but we all know Secretary Clinton is in New York heading up the U.S. Delegation to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations. They have sent, however, three fact sheets outlining the positions she will put forth on three crucial agendas:

• Promoting Disarmament
• Non-Proliferation
• Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

Mahmoud Ahmedinejad arrived in New York yesterday, and as Secretary Clinton said on Meet the Press yesterday, she does not know what he is here for. On the other hand, we very much know what she is there for. I expect that she will not be tolerating any nonsense.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Promoting Disarmament

Bureau of Public Affairs

Fact Sheet

April 27, 2010

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"So today, I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. This goal will not be reached quickly—perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence." — President Barack Obama

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) rests on three interrelated and mutually reinforcing pillars: nonproliferation, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and disarmament.

Disarmament
The NPT is critical to sustaining progress toward disarmament. It is the principal legal barrier to the spread of nuclear weapons, and its Parties undertake in Article VI "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a Treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective control."

The United States has made significant progress on disarmament. The Cold War era nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union ended two decades ago. Treaties banning chemical and biological weapons are now in force. At the 2000 NPT Review Conference, the five NPT nuclear weapon states reiterated an unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament.

Challenges
The obstacles to achieving a world without nuclear weapons are great. Despite massive reductions in nuclear arsenals since the height of the Cold War, thousands of these weapons remain in stockpiles. After decades of discussion, there remains no international ban on nuclear explosive testing or the production of fissile materials for use in nuclear weapons. The United States remains committed to meeting these challenges and moving forward on an ambitious disarmament agenda.

U.S. Actions in Support of the NPT’s Disarmament Pillar

• Reducing strategic nuclear weapons: Since 1988 the United States has dismantled more than 13,000 nuclear warheads. It has reduced the number of operationally deployed nuclear weapons from approximately 10,000 in 1991 to 1,968 as of December 31, 2009. The United States has also dismantled more than 3,000 non-strategic nuclear weapons. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, signed in April 2010, will limit the United States and Russia to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads each. It places significant new limits on strategic nuclear delivery vehicles and includes an effective verification regime.
• Reducing the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. national security strategy: The April 2010 Nuclear Posture Review declares that the United States will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against NPT non-nuclear weapon states in compliance with their nuclear nonproliferation obligations; affirms that the United States will not conduct nuclear explosive tests, develop new nuclear weapons, or pursue new military missions or capabilities for nuclear weapons; promotes strategic stability with Russia and China; and improves transparency and mutual confidence.
• Reducing delivery systems and fissile materials for weapons: The United States has eliminated more than 1,000 launchers for strategic ballistic missiles, 350 heavy bombers, and 28 ballistic missile submarines. It has removed 374 tons of highly enriched uranium and almost 61.5 tons of plutonium from the weapons inventory.
• Taking further steps toward a world without nuclear weapons: President Obama has pledged that the United States will pursue ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and seek a new treaty that verifiably ends the production of fissile materials for use in nuclear weapons.

For more information about the NPT, please visit http://www.state.gov/t/isn/npt/index.htm.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Promoting Non-Proliferation

Bureau of Public Affairs

Fact Sheet

April 27, 2010

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"Together we will strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a basis for cooperation. The basic bargain is sound: countries with nuclear weapons will move towards disarmament, countries without nuclear weapons will not acquire them, and all countries can access peaceful nuclear energy." — President Barack Obama

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) rests on three interrelated and mutually reinforcing pillars: nonproliferation, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and disarmament.

Nonproliferation
As the only legally binding agreement that provides a global barrier to the spread of nuclear weapons, the NPT is the cornerstone of the global nonproliferation regime. It enhances the security of every state, as well as global and regional security. Articles I and II seek to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons. Article III requires non-nuclear-weapon states to accept International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards to verify that nuclear activities serve only peaceful purposes. The NPT encourages regional groups of states to conclude treaties to assure the total absence of nuclear weapons on their territories. Five such treaties have been concluded.

Challenges
Challenges to the NPT’s nonproliferation pillar are several and serious. Robust verification of the NPT depends upon the IAEA having the necessary authorities and financial resources to fulfill its obligations. The revelation of the A.Q. Khan network’s illicit activities makes clear the potential threat of illicit nuclear supply to states and non-state actors. Concerns are growing about the potential for abuse of the NPT’s withdrawal clause, particularly if a Party seeking to withdraw from the NPT is already found to be in violation of its Treaty obligations.

U.S. Actions in Support of the NPT’s Nonproliferation Pillar

• Supporting the IAEA’s safeguards program and working to ensure that the Agency has the resources it needs to fulfill its safeguards obligations.
• Currently working with eight countries to prepare the infrastructure necessary to effectively implement the IAEA’s model Additional Protocol, designed to require more detailed disclosure regarding a states’ nuclear program by providing bilateral and multilateral workshops.
• Working to revitalize international safeguards technology and expertise through the U.S. Next Generation Safeguards Initiative.
• Bringing our Additional Protocol into force in January 2009 and encouraging all other states to do likewise.
• Addressing Iran’s non-compliance with its NPT and IAEA safeguards obligations and North Korea’s announced withdrawal from the Treaty after violating its NPT and IAEA safeguards obligations.
• Working with concerned NPT Parties to identify effective mechanisms to dissuade both violation of the Treaty and subsequent withdrawal.
• Implementing a comprehensive system of export controls for material, equipment, and technology that could be used for nuclear explosive purposes.
• Meeting our obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1540 which, among other things, requires all States to adopt and enforce effective laws prohibiting proliferation, and supporting the efforts of other states to meet theirs.
• Strengthening cooperative international nonproliferation efforts such as the Proliferation Security Initiative and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, and encouraging their growth.
• Having led the initiative to amend the Convention of the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials to cover physical protection of nuclear materials in domestic use, storage and transport and of nuclear facilities.
• Hosting the Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010, as part of President Obama’s initiative to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years.
• Signing and ratifying the protocols to the Latin American Nuclear-Weapons- Free Zone (NWFZ) and having signed the protocols to the South Pacific and African NWFZs.

For more information about the NPT, please visit http://www.state.gov/t/isn/npt/index.htm.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Promoting the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy

Bureau of Public Affairs

Fact Sheet

April 27, 2010

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"We should build a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation, including an international fuel bank, so that countries can access peaceful power without increasing the risks of proliferation. That must be the right of every nation that renounces nuclear weapons especially, developing countries embarking on peaceful programs... We must harness the power of nuclear energy on behalf of our efforts to combat climate change, and to advance peace and opportunity for all people." — President Barack Obama

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) rests on three interrelated and mutually reinforcing pillars: nonproliferation, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and disarmament.

Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
Article IV of the NPT acknowledges the right of all Parties to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, in conformity with their nonproliferation obligations and to participate in exchanges of related material and information. In the 40 years since the NPT’s entry into force, cooperation in this area has grown tremendously. Today, peaceful nuclear applications improve the daily lives of people all around the world.

Challenges
Peaceful uses of nuclear energy are helping to address modern challenges such as climate change, energy security, and sustainable development. The benefits are clear, and we must work with all NPT parties to ensure continued access to them without increasing the risk of nuclear proliferation.

U.S. Actions in Support of the NPT’s Peaceful Uses Pillar

• The United States has formal agreements for cooperation with almost 50 states, and U.S. technical agencies have agreements with over 40 countries.
• The United States is working with other states to develop mechanisms to guarantee states reliable access to nuclear fuel.
• The United States is expanding cooperation programs aimed at civil nuclear infrastructure development for countries newly considering nuclear power.
• As the largest donor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Technical Cooperation (TC) program, the United States contributed about $235 million for TC programs between 2000 and 2009. These contributions have enhanced the peaceful-uses capabilities of more than 100 IAEA Member States in fields such as nuclear power infrastructure, health care and nutrition, water resource management, food security, sustainable development, and nuclear safety and security.

Peaceful Uses – Making an Impact

Activities supported by the United States include:

• Sterile Insect Technique (SIT): The United States has contributed more than $3 million to the IAEA project to integrate SIT for tsetse fly eradication in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, which will positively impact cattle production and the standard of living for local families.
• Program for Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT): The United States has contributed almost $1.2 million to PACT, which aims to establish safe and effective radiotherapy programs, providing higher quality treatment to cancer patients worldwide.
• Support for nuclear power infrastructure: The United States has launched regulatory building pilot programs in Armenia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam; is helping establish a Virtual Reactor Laboratory for education in Jordan; and has held regional workshops on infrastructure development.

For more information about the NPT, please visithttp://www.state.gov/t/isn/npt/index.htm.

Secretary Clinton's Interview With David Gregory of NBC's Meet the Press

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Interview With David Gregory of NBC's Meet the Press

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 2, 2010

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Editor's Note: This interview was taped on April 30, 2010 and broadcast on May 2.

QUESTION: Welcome back. Thanks for being here.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, David, I’m thrilled to be here on the new set. Thank you.
QUESTION: Thanks very much. There’s a lot of important issues to talk about with certainly in the headlines this weekend is this oil spill off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi. And it becomes a bigger issue, and even a national security issue, as it applies to climate change, which is an issue that you’ve dealt with. How will the Administration approach this particularly given the President’s interest in offshore drilling? Does that have to stop now?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, David, I think that the President has ordered the departments that deal with this – Homeland Security, Interior, Environmental Protection, Defense – to all immediately not only do everything possible to mitigate the effects of this spill, but to try to come up with recommendations going forward. The first order of business, however, is to try to get this spill under control, which has been, as you know, very difficult, and to prevent further damage to the coastline along Louisiana to the fishing waters, to the wildlife.
I think it does raise questions which the President has said have to be answered. He put forth a very comprehensive approach that included the potential of drilling off of our own shore. That is a national security concern because we have to do better to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. But it has to be done safely. It can’t be done at the risk of having to spend billions of dollars cleaning up these spills.
So as with so much in these difficult areas, it’s going to require a balancing act.
QUESTION: Another area that has become a domestic political debate over immigration has also taken on some international ramifications. Mexico, because of the law – the stringent law against – the anti-immigration law passed in Arizona, has issued a pretty unusual alert to its own citizens traveling to Arizona. I’ll put it up on the screen. This is the alert – a travel alert over Arizona immigration law. This is how the USA Today reported it on Wednesday: “The country warned that the state’s adoption of a strict immigration enforcement law has created ‘a negative political environment from migrant communities and for all Mexican visitors.’ ‘It must be assumed that every Mexican citizen may be harassed and questioned without further cause at any time,’ according to the foreign ministry.”
The president, President Calderon, with whom you will meet soon, has talked about criminalizing – this law criminalizes a largely social and economic phenomenon of migration. This is a pretty big shot across the bow to America here.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it is. And I think if you look at it, again, you have a lot of unanswered questions. This law, which is clearly a result of the frustration that people in Arizona and their elected officials feel about the difficulty of enforcing the law along our border and preventing the continued immigration of people who are not documented, but on the other hand, it is written so broadly that if you were visiting in Arizona and you had an accent and you were a citizen from my state of New York, you could be subjected to the kind of inquiry this law permits.
QUESTION: Do you think it invites profiling, racial profiling?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, because clearly, as I understand the way the law is being explained, if you’re a legal resident, you still have to carry papers. Well, how is a law enforcement official supposed to know? So, again, we have to try to balance the very legitimate concerns that Americans – not just people in Arizona but across the country have about safe and secure borders, about trying to have comprehensive immigration reform, with a law that I think does what a state doesn't have the authority to do, try to impose their own immigration law that is really the province of the federal government.
QUESTION: That is important. Do you think this law will not stand up legally?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I don’t want to offer a legal opinion. I think I’ll leave that to the Justice Department. But I know the Attorney General of Arizona has raised questions about the legality. And you’re right; we have a visit from President Calderon coming up, a state visit. He’s a very important partner to us on trying to stop illegal activity along our border – the importation of drugs, of arms, of human beings – all of the crime that that’s associated with. And we believe that he has really done the best he can under very difficult circumstances to get this under control. We don’t want to make his life any harder either. We want to try to support him in what has been a courageous campaign against the drug traffickers.



QUESTION: Let me move on to some other issues that are obviously on your plate, which is a big plate of issues. Let’s talk about Afghanistan. A big offensive is being planned for Kandahar. A very important visit by President Karzai is coming up after a period of turbulence between the U.S. and Karzai which I know the Administration has tried to tamp down. And yet, it’s the nature of the insurgency that our fighting men and women are dealing with. And the Pentagon issued a report that was reported on by the Los Angeles Times on Thursday. Let me put it up on the screen. It says the report presented a sobering new assessment Wednesday of the Taliban-led insurgency in the country, saying that its abilities are expanding and its operations are increasing in sophistication despite major offenses by U.S. forces in the militant heartland, like Marjah. The new report offers a grim take on the likely difficulty of establishing lasting security, especially in southern Afghanistan, where the insurgency enjoys broad support. The conclusions raise the prospect that the insurgency in the south may never be completely vanquished, but instead must be contained to prevent it from threatening the government of President Hamid Karzai.
A narrow question here: Are you resigned to the fact that the Taliban, the insurgency, will have to be a part of this government in the future?
SECRETARY CLINTON: No. And let me start by putting the recent report from the Pentagon into context. It was a look-back. It goes from last October through March. When we were devising the strategy that the President announced at West Point in early December, it was during the August, September, October, November period, and there was no doubt that the Taliban had the initiative, that there was a very serious threat to not only our forces, obviously, on the ground, but to the stability and security of Afghanistan.
QUESTION: But you hear all this talk and Karzai wants some kind of reconciliation with the Taliban as well.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, but, David, I think that we have to sort of sort out what we mean by that. We talk about reconciliation and reintegration. They may sound the same, but they’re somewhat different concepts. Reintegration refers to the foot soldiers on the field who are coming in increasing numbers and saying, look, we’re fighting because we get paid, we’re fighting because we were volunteered to fight because the Taliban came to our village and intimidated our elders. So there seems to be an ongoing movement of people sort of out of the battlefield. And General McChrystal and his commanders on the ground are seeing that and kind of organizing and running that.
The larger question about reconciliation – I don’t know any conflict in recent times that didn’t have some political resolution associated with it. People either got tired of fighting and decided they would engage in a peace process; they were defeated enough so that they were willing to lay down their arms. What President Karzai is saying – and we agree with this direction – is that you’ve got to look to see who is reconcilable. Not everybody will be. We don’t expect Mullah Omar to show up and say, oh yeah, I’m giving up on my association with al-Qaida, et cetera. But we do think that there are leaders within the Taliban – in fact, there are some already – who have come over to the other side.
Now, if they do so, they have to renounce al-Qaida, they have to renounce violence, they have to give up their arms, and they have to be willing to abide by the Afghan constitution.
QUESTION: Another adversary, of course, gets us to Iran and the fact that President Ahmadinejad from Iran will be coming to New York to the UN for a nonproliferation meeting.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Right.
QUESTION: You’re moving down a path of sanctions. We understand what that is. Do you feel like he’s going to try to show up here the early part of next week and steal the show?


SECRETARY CLINTON: I don’t know what he’s showing up for, because the purpose of the Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference is to reiterate the commitment of the international community to the three goals: disarmament, nonproliferation, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. So the vast majority of countries are coming to see what progress we can make. And this is a very high priority for President Obama. It’s why he pressed so hard for the START treaty, which he signed with President Medvedev in Prague. It’s why we convened a Nuclear Security Summit to highlight the threat posed by nuclear terrorism. It’s why we have begun to work out deals with India and others for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, which countries are entitled to under the nonproliferation regime.
If Iran is coming to say we’re willing to abide by the Nonproliferation Treaty, that would be very welcome news. I have a feeling that’s not what they’re coming to do. I think they’re coming to try to divert attention and confuse the issue. And there is no confusion. They have violated the terms of the NPT. They have been held under all kinds of restrictions and obligations that they have not complied with by the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, by the UN Security Council. So we’re not going to permit Iran to try to change the story from their failure to comply and in any way upset the efforts we are in the midst of, which is to get the international community to adopt a strong Security Council resolution that further isolates them and imposes consequences for their behavior.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, I’d like to spend a couple minutes on some other global hotspots which you’re dealing with.
The first one is actually with America’s strong ally. In the UK, in Great Britain, very interesting election going on. You’ve got three candidates, a resurgent third party in the Social Democrats, televised debates. You know something about those.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I do.
QUESTION: And as you watch what’s going on there, do you think there’s a movement that could spread? Do you see a third party becoming viable in the United States?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, let’s see whether it’s viable in the UK. I don’t know the answer to that. We’ve had in my lifetime, and certainly long before, viable third-party candidates. We had Ross Perot, John Anderson just within my voting history. I think there’s always room in democracy for people to bring their views to the forefront. But I think one of the real strengths of our system has been our two-party approach, where each party may frustrate some of its own members because they do have a broad cross-section of voters and opinions.
But look, I’m going to be as interested as anybody to see what happens in the election in Great Britain.
QUESTION: Final one has to do with the election in Sudan, where you have Bashir as the victor, and yet this is Sudan, is a sponsor of state terror, according to the State Department, and this is someone who is boasting about the results and keeping the United States at bay. Nicholas Kristof wrote this in The New York Times: “Until he reached the White House, President Obama repeatedly insisted the U.S. apply more pressure on Sudan so as to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur and elsewhere. Yet as president, Mr. Obama and his aides have caved, leaving Sudan gloating at American weakness. President Bashir, al-Bashir of Sudan, a man wanted for crimes against humanity in Darfur, has been celebrating. His regime called itself the National Congress Party, or NCP, and he was quoted in Sudan as telling a rally in the Blue Nile region: ‘Every America – even America is becoming an NCP member, no one is against our will.’
“Memo to Mr. Obama, when a man who has been charged with crimes against humanity tells the world that America is in his pocket, it’s time to review your policy.”
What do you say?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I would say that, number one, I can’t take anything seriously that Bashir says. He is an indicted war criminal. The United States is very committed to seeing him brought to justice. But let’s look at what’s happening in Sudan, because I have the greatest respect, of course, for Nick Kristof and others who share my deep dismay at events in Sudan.
But here’s what we’re trying to do. When we came into office, Bashir threw out the groups, the nongovernmental organizations, who were providing most of the aid in the camps in Darfur, which could have been a disastrous humanitarian crisis. We were able to get a lot of the help back in and we’re beginning to see some slight progress in Darfur. I don’t want to overstate it because it is still a deplorable situation. But we are working to try to get the people back to their homes, out of the camps.
At the same time, you had this election going on. It was, by any measure, a flawed election. There were many, many things wrong with it. But there hadn’t been an election in many years, and so part of our goal was to try to empower opposition parties, empower people to go out and vote. Thousands and thousands did. The result, I think, was pretty much foreordained that Bashir would come out the winner, and that’s unfortunate. We are turning all of our attention to trying to help the South and to mitigate against the attitudes of the North. I can’t sit here and say that we are satisfied, because I’m certainly not satisfied with where we are and what we’re doing, but it is an immensely complicated arena.
Now, the United States could back off and say we won’t deal with these people, we’re not going to have anything to do with them, Bashir is a war criminal. I don’t think that will improve the situation. So along with our partners – the UK, Norway, neighboring countries – we are trying to manage what is a very explosive problem.
QUESTION: Just a couple minutes left. I want to ask you about another big thrust of your time as Secretary of State, and that is forging – well, I should say a realization that there are limits to what government can accomplish around the world. You have spent a lot of time working with the private sector to achieve certain commercial goals, also to achieve goals like the empowerment of women. You’ve got an announcement this weekend having to do with the China Expo and the U.S. role in the China Expo, as well as efforts to empower women around the world in developing countries through the help of the private sector.
Why is this really the route of the future for the government?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you for asking me that, because that is exactly what I believe, that diplomacy today is not just government-to-government. Part of what I had to do when I became Secretary of State was to rebuild America’s image, standing, and leadership in the world. And certainly, President Obama is our greatest advocate at that. But you can’t just do that by the government saying things or even by our President making incredibly important speeches. You have to begin to engage the people in other countries. And in order to do that effectively, I want more people-to-people contacts, I want more private sector partnerships with our public sector and with people around the world.
Let me give two quick examples. You mentioned the Shanghai Expo. There’ll probably be 70 million-plus people who go through that Expo. When I became Secretary of State, there was no money raised because we don’t put public money into a project like that. So with the help of a lot of very dedicated corporate sponsors, we now will be a player in that Expo.
Now, what does that mean? Well, when those 70 million Chinese – mostly Chinese but people from elsewhere in the world go through, they’re going to learn something about America. They’re going to learn something about our values, about our products, about how we live. I think that helps to build the kind of understanding and connection that is at the root of good relations.
And on women’s issues, we just had a great announcement through the combined efforts of a number of corporate sponsors, foundations like the Rockefeller Foundation, we’re going to be working to help empower women doing what they do best and to try to up their education levels, their health levels.
Why does this matter? Because it’s the United States doing it. And it’s not just the United States Government. It’s the people of the United States.
QUESTION: Before you go, a question about whether you think it’s realistic that you will stay on as Secretary of State for the balance of the first term.
SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Well, I intend to. Yeah, I intend to.
QUESTION: You do intend to?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yeah. But I mean, people have been asking me this. And in the interest of full disclosure, it is an exhausting job. But I enjoy it. I have a great time doing it. I feel like we’re making a difference around the world, that I’m a big believer in setting goals, having a vision of where we’re trying to get, but then trying to translate that into what we do today and what we do tomorrow. And we’ve made a lot of progress. We face incredibly difficult problems.
QUESTION: So you think you’ll stay for the whole first term?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think so. I think so. I mean, look, ask me next month and the month after that, but that certainly is my intention.
QUESTION: And yet you don’t care to be on the Supreme Court?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, never. I mean, I’m glad you (inaudible).
QUESTION: You’re a lawyer with all that background.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I am – I do not and have never wanted to be a judge, ever. I mean, that has never been anything that I even let cross my mind, because it’s just not my personality.
QUESTION: Do you think the President should pick another women – woman this time?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I think he should pick a very well-qualified, people-savvy, young person to be on the Court to really help to shape the jurisprudence going forward. I think that it’s not a surprise that there’s a real division on the Court, and a lot of decisions that have great ramifications for the people of our country that I would like to see someone put on the Court who can really try to shift the direction of the current Court.
QUESTION: Secretary Clinton, thank you, as always.
SECRETARY CLINTON: You’re welcome.

Tomorrow: Secretary Clinton to lead U.S. Delegation to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations

Ahmedinejad is also showing up. Secretary Clinton this morning on Meet The Press: "I don't know WHAT he's showing up for!" (Huge blue eyes!)

Secretary Clinton to lead U.S. Delegation to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

April 27, 2010

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will lead the U.S. delegation to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations in New York City, which begins Monday, May 3.
Secretary Clinton will deliver remarks on Monday afternoon. Additional details will be forthcoming.
The Secretary’s role underscores the Obama Administration’s top-level commitment to revitalizing and strengthening the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Other members of the delegation will include Ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; Tom D’Agostino, NNSA Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator; and Ambassador Susan Burk, Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation.
The Review Conference meets every five years to assess the status of the world’s nuclear nonproliferation efforts and to reach a consensus on further steps to strengthen it. For 40 years, the Treaty has been the cornerstone of our efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, material and technology. As more states and non-state actors seek to acquire nuclear weapons, nuclear terrorism and proliferation have become the gravest threats of the 21^st century.
Secretary Clinton will underscore the need to revitalize and strengthen the grand bargain in the NPT: nations with nuclear weapons will move toward disarmament, nations without nuclear weapons will not seek them, and all nations have the right to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

More CSPAN Video: Dorothy Height Funeral

For some reason, CSPAN has not made the gathering before the funeral embeddable, so I can only link to it here.

Sunday Morning Talk Shows

As you may already know, but it does no harm to repeat, the honorable and beautiful Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be gracing Meet The Press tomorrow with her lovely presence.

Other cabinet members appearing tomorrow will be Janet Napolitano and Ken Salazar. who will be making the rounds in tandem . You can see all the line-ups here at TPM.

CSPAN Video of the Dorothy Height Memorial

This was huge and everyone who is anybody was there. Bill and Hillary are from about 1:18 to 1:45. It was a lovely tribute to Dr. Height's long life and career. I especially like Hillary's participation since Dr. Height was so often the "only woman in the room," and that is still often true of Hillary today.

From CSPAN (with an incredible video library now digitized and available).

Celebration of Life. Dr. Height’s life story will be told through stories, videos, photos and readings shared by her many friends and colleagues including Congressman John Lewis, former NOW President Eleanor Smeal, NCNW leadership, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Children’s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman, .. Read More

Video & Text: Secretary Clinton's Friday Bilaterals

Finally, I have caught up with the two bilaterals from yesterday!

Remarks With Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sabah After Their Meeting



Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
April 30, 2010

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good morning. Well, once again, it is an honor to welcome His Excellency the deputy prime minister to the State Department. I first met Dr. Muhammad when he was serving as Kuwait’s ambassador to Washington back in the 1990s, and it is such a pleasure to work with him. Today as always, we had a very productive and constructive exchange of views that covered a wide range of common concerns.

Kuwait is a trusted and valued partner of the United States. Our countries share a bond forged during the U.S.-led liberation of Kuwait in 1991 and strengthened by years of partnership and mutual respect. We appreciate Kuwait’s leadership as the chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council. We look forward to continuing to work with Kuwait on our shared goals of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and beyond.

The deputy prime minister and I discussed recent political developments in Iraq and the ongoing process of forming a new government. The security and stability of Iraq is critical to the security and stability of Kuwait, but of indeed the entire region. The United States recognizes that there is still work to be done to address some of the outstanding issues related to the Iraq-Kuwait relationship, and we are committed to working with Kuwait and the new Government of Iraq and the United Nations in the months ahead.

I also updated the deputy prime minister on our ongoing efforts, along with our international partners, to secure a United Nations Security Council resolution on Iran. We discussed the importance of diplomatic efforts to encourage Iran to abide by its international nuclear obligations. On Monday, I will attend the conference in New York reviewing the Nonproliferation Treaty and we will be underscoring once again the importance of all nations upholding their responsibilities.

We also discussed our shared goal of achieving a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. As I said last night at the American Jewish Committee, the Middle East will never realize its full potential, Israel will never be truly secure, the Palestinians will never have their legitimate aspiration for a state, unless we create the circumstances in which positive negotiations can occur.
We are also seeking not only a two-state solution negotiated by the parties, but a regional peace between Israel and Syria, between Israel and Lebanon, and normal relations between Israel and the Arab states. We believe that through good faith negotiations, the parties can mutually agree to an outcome which ends the conflict and reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state based on the ’67 lines with agreed swaps and Israel’s goal of a Jewish state with the secure and recognized borders that reflect subsequent developments and meet Israel’s security requirements.

Simultaneously moving toward a broader regional peace will help set up the conditions for that outcome. I commend Kuwait for its support of the Arab peace initiative, which offers a vision of a better future for all of the people of the Middle East. And I look forward to seeing it advanced by actions as well as words.

Now, we are very committed – deeply committed – to a prosperous, secure, democratic future for the people of Kuwait. We will continue working together to broaden the partnership between our governments and deepen the friendship between our people. We are very grateful for Kuwait’s support of our efforts with our troops and the many difficult challenges that have faced our ongoing actions in Iraq. And Kuwait has been a stalwart supporter and friend. So thank you again.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AL-SABAH: Thank you, Madam Secretary. It’s always great being back to the States and especially to the State Department. I value your friendship and your advice. We – I think I don’t have to, again, say what we have discussed because that has been fully covered by the Secretary’s statement. But I would like also to emphasize the kind of bilateral relations that we emphasized in our discussion. I also raised the issue of Kuwait’s desire to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, and we are going to work very closely with the United States on that issue.

Also, we have raised the issue of our detainees in Guantanamo, and this is an area that is – present continuous hardship, I think both for the United States Government and the Kuwaiti Government and the people of Kuwait. And we have agreed on a ways to resolve this issue in the near future.

I thank you very much, Secretary Clinton, for your friendship and I look forward to work with you on all the issues that you have mentioned.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you so much.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AL-SABAH: Thank you.

MR. CROWLEY: (Inaudible.) We have time two questions. One (inaudible).

QUESTION: Madam Secretary, the Palestinians said they received a letter from President Obama about the peace process. And I’m wondering can you tell us if the U.S. is making any new commitments to President Abbas to get him back to the negotiating table, and are you confident that proximity talks may start again soon?

And for the deputy prime minister, Secretary Clinton last night made a pretty strong call for more help from the Arab states to get the peace process on track. I’m wondering from your perspective what you think the Arab states can do in order to get the proximity talks underway.

Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Andy, I’m not going to comment on any correspondence between President Obama and President Abbas. I think we’ve been very clear in our efforts that the resumption of talks is absolutely essential for the progress we seek toward a two-state solution. We will be starting with proximity talks next week. Senator Mitchell will be going back to the region. And we look forward to the meeting of the Arab follow-up committee in Cairo tomorrow night to support the commitment by President Abbas to move forward with these talks.

Ultimately, we want to see the parties in direct negotiations and working out all the difficult issues that they must – they’ve been close a few times before. I remember very well the Camp David experience, and I know that President Abbas negotiated with former Prime Minister Olmert. So we are looking to see the resumption of those discussions.

DEPUTY PRIME MINSTER AL-SABAH: Well, the United States has indicated that peace in our region is of national security interest to the United States. We are strategic partners and strategic allies to the United States, so it is incumbent on us to help the United States achieve that. This is something that would benefit us and the people in the region as a whole. We have supported the proximity talks during early March. Unfortunately, the response from Israel was an announcement to build 1,600 houses in East Jerusalem, as if it was a response to our support for the proximity talks. Yet we did not be discouraged by that during the Arab summit in Tripoli where we confirmed our commitment to the proximity talk to help United States achieve this strategic objective by resuming the discussion on the parameters that was stated by President Obama during his speech to the United Nations. I think this is something that we all support, and that we support fully the position that the United States has taken.

MR. CROWLEY: (Off-mike.)

QUESTION: My question is (inaudible) statement – my question is: Can you specifically say to the people of the region what the United States is (inaudible) of the (inaudible) about the peace and stability of this region, taking into consideration this threat (inaudible)? Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you.

QUESTION: Another question after that (inaudible)?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, do you want to ask that question, sir, and then you want to ask the question to the deputy prime minister?

QUESTION: Yes.

SECRETARY CLINTON: You know, as the deputy prime minister said, Kuwait and the United States are strategic allies and we work together to address the challenges and threats that our strategic ally faces. There’s no doubt that a great deal of concern is merited within the region concerning Iran – Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, Iran’s efforts to support terrorism, Iran’s unfortunate behavior undermining governments across the region and beyond.

So we know that we have to work together and we are doing so. We are working to isolate Iran through the United Nations. We’re in the midst of negotiations over a Security Council resolution that will impose consequences on Iran for its unwillingness to follow the IAEA or the United Nations Security Council requirements about its nuclear program. We are working to support the defense and territorial integrity of our partners and allies in the Gulf, and we consult closely.

The deputy prime minister will be also meeting with Secretary Gates. I mean, our whole government is committed to working with Kuwait to provide Kuwait with the support it needs to deal with any of the challenges or threats it faces.

QUESTION: (In Arabic.)

(Via interpreter) Your Excellency, there are many issues that you have discussed with the U.S. Secretary of State, Secretary Clinton. Are there any new positions? Are there any new views or it is just a recurrence of all the point of views put forth again?

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER AL-SABAH: (Via interpreter) I believe that we have discussed with Secretary Clinton many very important issues that have been on the agenda of the region for a very, very long time. I believe that the ideas that were put forth were those ideas of President Obama during his speech at UNGA, at the UN General Assembly, last September in his remarks to that institution. And I believe that these ideas reflect the Arab ideas.

What is needed is peace. We need to bring about peace, a peace that is based on a two-state solution for an independent and viable Palestinian state with its capital, East Jerusalem, and a state that would live in peace and security with its neighbor.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all

Remarks With Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos Before Their Meeting

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
April 30, 2010

SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, I’m delighted and I’m going to tell the world how delighted I am –

FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS: Absolutely.

SECRETARY CLINTON: -- to have my friend, the Foreign Minister of Spain, here. I was with him last night at an event here in Washington where he spoke, and I just am delighted that we get to see one another on a regular basis and work on so many important issues.

FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS: Well, I’m very happy again, just today, we worked together to push forward in the Obama Administration-Hillary Clinton leadership for moving forward on the Middle East. I think – I hope that the things are going to be on track. And of course, Spain and European Union are going to work hand-by-hand in order to make it possible. And of course, we have been on bilateral level excellent relations, opportunity to discuss other issues of interest for both side – the Western Balkans, Latin America, so many issues.

SECRETARY CLINTON: So many issues.

FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS: And always together.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes, indeed. Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS: Thank you. Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much.