Remarks Before Her Meeting With Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba
RemarksHillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of StateWaldorf AstoriaNew York, New YorkSeptember 19, 2011QUESTION: Madam Secretary, can I ask you how things are going on the Middle East?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we are engaged in extremely intensive ongoing diplomacy, reaching out to not only the parties, but to all of the people who are here for the UN General Assembly. And we continue to believe and are pressing the point that the only way to a two-state solution, which is what we support and want to see happen, is through negotiations. And no matter what does or doesn’t happen this week, it will not produce the kind of outcome that everyone is hoping for. So we’re going to stay very much engaged and focused.
QUESTION: Do you sense some wiggle room, Madam Secretary?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I’m sorry. What?
QUESTION: Do you sense any wiggle room? Do you think that you can, in this week of meetings, in this week of diplomacy, get him to see it your way and perhaps maybe soften his stance even?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Elise, I think it’s early in the week. A lot of people are not even here yet; there’s been an enormous number of meetings by many different parties talking to each other. And I want to be fully informed about all of those conversations. But I think that everyone knows our position and, obviously, our goal is a two-state solution, and that’s what we’re going to keep working towards.
MS. NULAND: Thank you.
