Press Briefing With Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller After Their Meeting

DEPUTY SECRETARY ZOELLICK: Thank you. Well, I think the Minister covered our agenda fully, and I just want to say how much I appreciate the fact that the Minister, and in a few minutes, the Prime Minister, could take the time to visit with me. The purpose of my visit really is to follow up on that of President Bush and Secretary Rice with a focus on trying to visit individual capitals and to listen and to learn the key items on our close partners' agenda - and there is none closer than Denmark. It is an excellent partner on security matters, economic matters, trying to promote freedom and human rights issues. So it was a good opportunity for me to be able to get a sense of what Denmark believes we might need to focus on over coming months and the coming year. And, of course, as is always the case, I think, there was a close commonality on these issues.

FOREIGN MINISTER MOELLER: There is time for four questions.

QUESTION FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: Sir, yesterday a report lashed out at the U.S. intelligence community about Iraq. Does that mean that we can also put question marks at the U.S. assessment of North Korea and Iran?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ZOELLICK: Well, obviously people out of Washington are the ones that will make the prime focus on those reports. But the way I would read those reports is that the nature of the United States is one where we are not afraid to ask questions about our performance and the need to be open and transparent about things that have gone wrong and things that need to be improved. We had a 9/11 Commission report that looked at a lot of these issues. The Executive Director of that commission is now working with Secretary Rice and me as the Counselor of the State Department. And so I think this properly focuses on some of the things that need to be improved. We have created a new National Intelligence Director, Ambassador Negroponte, who will be returning for his confirmation hearings. So, I don't think it is a surprise when you deal with very closed totalitarian societies that it is hard to get information. That is part of the lessons that I read in these reports. But it also doesn't mean that one can avoid the risks in these societies. So, that is part of the challenge for open and democratic societies. How do we learn about the dangers in the world from closed societies? And that is one will work on with our European partners and other allies.

QUESTION FROM AP: What is...?

FOREIGN MINISTER MOELLER: Sorry, sorry, I understand that we only have time for one more question because of the meeting with the Prime Minister and I took more than scheduled. So only have one question more.

QUESTION FROM THE DANISH NEWS AGENCY, RITZAU: Mr. Zoellick, the decision of the agreement at the Security Council last night, do you also see that as a wise agreement?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ZOELLICK: Obviously the decision that the United States made was to abstain. And as the Minister and I discussed - because I will actually be going to a conference in Oslo on April 12, a donors conference for Sudan on the North-South Accord. And then I will likely be going on to Sudan to also visit Darfur. Our key question here is how to work together, on the one hand bringing the North-South Accord to fruition. Right now its has got incredible possibilities because you have a 20- or 30-year struggle between the North and the South. Finally, the parties have come together. But to do that effectively, we also have to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and how to relate those in a way that can be mutually supportive, as opposed to drag down the situation.

So, this resolution yesterday was the final of three. The first, as you know, was a unanimous one to create a 10,000-person peacekeeping force in the North-South, and the United States sponsored that resolution. Second, we sponsored a resolution dealing with a limited sanctions regime, which was another important one that we worked on together with our European partners. The third issue that was discussed yesterday was accountability. The United States has always stressed the need to create a system of accountability. But there have been different views. And it is not only the United States. President Obasanjo of Nigeria came up with an idea. Some of the Africans wanted more of an African Union solution. So, what we worked out yesterday was recognizing that the United States has some strong concerns about the use of the International Criminal Court because we are not a party to the Rome Treaty. That how one could permit that accountability process to go forward in that circumstance and protect the position that we have, not only as a non-treaty member, but also as a party that, frankly, often has forces and individuals around the world that have to exercise these resolutions and therefore put themselves at risk. And so, I was pleased that we were able to do that in a satisfactory fashion that allowed us to abstain. But, I think it would be a mistake to let that divert from the key issue. The key issue is working on the problems of Sudan. That's one issue that the Minister and I had a chance to talk about because in preparation for Denmark's role on the U.N. Security Council he had a chance to visit in November and I will be going there soon.

FOREIGN MINISTER MOELLER: Thank you very much. Thank you.

DEPUTY SECRETARY ZOELLICK: Thanks, Mr. Minister.