U.S.-European Union Joint Press Conference With Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard R. Bot, EU High Representative Javier Solana, and EU Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner

FOREIGN MINISTER BOT: Thank you ladies and gentlemen. May I say, first of all, that we had a very broad, very fruitful discussion on the future of the transatlantic relations. We talked, as you said, at elbows on the table, and that it proved to be a very successful formula because we discovered, as we always discover, that we share the same roots, share the same values, the same causes, and the same interests and that is the case on many, many issues.

Of course, we cannot take for granted that this transatlantic unity of purpose and approach doesn’t need, let’s say, dialogue and constant consultation. It was for that reason that we also decided to have this first meeting on the relationship of the transatlantic relations in this very open and this and as you may say also this relaxed atmosphere, which proved to be very successful.

So we said that we have to intensify the dialogue and to also rediscover some common ground in the second term of President Bush. And I think we also discovered that we have to do it in different ways, both in public diplomacy and making our populations aware of each other’s interests, of our concerns and also on the level, for example, of Congress, the European Parliament, having exchanges of parliamentarians, and deepening the dialogue and the understanding because we are entering into a new phase of history. There are no longer, as Secretary Colin Powell said, soldiers who have served in Europe, people who have memories of Marshall Plans, as I myself and as Mrs. Ferrero also remarked. So we have to work in all these issues to increase understanding because we both are of the opinion that in a globalizing world, cooperation between the United States and Europe is essential.

May I say also on a more personal note, that I very much have valued the friendship of Colin Powell. Although I am absolutely sure that I will be dealing very soon with an excellent successor, Ms. Rice, I must also say that I will very much miss the competence and the friendship and expertise of my colleague, Colin Powell.

We also have dealt with a number of specific issues. First of all, we discussed Iraq, the importance of sticking to the date set for the elections, the 30th of January. That we also need a strong and secure Iraq, that the training of Iraqi army and police forces and building up the judicial system is a necessity and that is also what the European Union is willing to chip in and help because we believe like as I say that Iraq must be governed not only by the Iraqis but that they also must be able to take care of their own security and that we believe that sticking to the electoral process will be very important first step on completing the full political process as it has been laid down in Resolution 1546.

We discussed Iran and we briefed Colin Powell on the results of the European three-members together with Javier Solana. Of course now we have to look forward, we have to see that the verification process, which has been so successfully completed and that we continue to verify and monitor what is going on. Of course, we share the concerns also on a number of other issues which the European Union has steadfastly has brought forward concerning of course the human rights situation and the dealings with terrorist organizations and the Middle East process.

The Middle East process was one of the elements, which we discussed at some length, especially in the light of the new developments after the demise of Mr. Arafat. We discussed the Gaza disengagement. We discussed also their electoral process and of course we discussed also the eventual need in the context of the Roadmap to think about final status and how to deal with it.

Tomorrow, we will see a meeting of the Forum for the Future in Rabat. There again the European Union and the United States will be working closely together, and I have also high hopes that we will contribute to a stable situation both in the Middle East and also as far as the Middle East peace process is concerned.

We also had an exchange of thoughts about the Ukraine and what has happened recently. There again we underlined the importance that the Ukrainian people can decide their own fate and that accusations that Europe or the United States is meddling are completely unfounded. All we want do is make sure that the elections are fair and free. And We have high hopes that the process on the 26th of December will be fair and free and, as I say, we will not take sides, all that is important is that the people of the Ukraine are able to decide themselves about their own future.

On Afghanistan, the same thing, we were very happy that the election of President Karzai was possible under such auspicious circumstances and that also creates a favorable situation for the upcoming elections in April that we will continue to sustain that process together with the United States and together with NATO. It is at any rate, we believe, an example that if we unite forces and we stand united in our efforts that we will also be able to have a successful outcome as we have done in Afghanistan.

We have not closed our eyes for a number of difficulties, notably concerning the drug situation. But we hope that we will be able to find a solution if we work constructively together. I may perhaps now pass the floor to Colin Powell and the other participants in the discussion or perhaps, Benita.

COMMISSIONER BENITA FERRERO WALDNER: Thank you very much. Let me say this meeting comes at a key moment in the EU – U.S. relationship, because indeed next year will mark the fifteen years of the transatlantic declaration and ten years of the new transatlantic agenda. Of course the Commission has started already to think about it and we want to give a new breath to these relations, and we think the Bush administration too, on the one hand, and also a new commissioner has come in and both have these interests and we try to work for it. Working together, one could say, does not guarantee a solution to global challenges. But when we are divided, the world is still poorer. I think this has to be a principle and we are very much looking forward, I would say also, to the visit of President Bush in February to Brussels and we do hope that gives us a chance to be working together.

We already, I think, have made progress to put the difficult moments of the Iraq crisis behind us. And we will, of course, in future work towards many common goals, like for instance, the meeting of the Forum in Rabat, which has been mentioned, where Javier Solana and myself will be going together with Colin Powell – on different planes – but we will be there together. The European Union is already a major donor there, and I think with our neighborhood policy and with other close relationships that we have, we can make a difference in the WTO membership, in cooperation in non-proliferation, in the fight against terrorism, and in something that is very dear to me personally, that is the question of education. Of course, we are working for a democracy in the region, in particular by supporting the election process there. Thank you.

HIGH REPRESENTATIVE JAVIER SOLANA: Thank you very much. I would agree with everything that has been said by Benita and Ben, yes, about everything. I would add two things. First, I have been working with Colin Powell probably more than anybody else at this table. From the very beginning, when he took over, we began to work in a splendid manner. And when I was in another capacity, I had also the opportunity of working with him when he was in another capacity. I want to say very clearly and publicly that he leaves in Europe many, many good friends, and that the life will continue, and we will continue to meet in many paths which life will bring to us. People of that caliber are necessary to make this world a better place.

The meeting of today, which is to me I don’t know what number of troikas with Colin Powell, I wouldn’t say infinite, but almost infinite. It has been a very good one. And I want to pay tribute to Ben Bot for the manner he has handled this troika, the manner he handled the lunch, as he has said without papers, without the, I don’t know how he has called it, knees on the table, I think he has called it. Anyway, the people were present, the minds, their hearts in a firm manner. I am pretty sure that after the meeting of today, the relationship between the European Union and the United States will be better than yesterday. And that is the best remembrance we can have of this last troika with our good friend, Colin Powell.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much colleagues for your kind words, and I thank Ben especially for hosting our meeting today. I want to express my appreciation for your excellent leadership and cooperation during the Dutch presidency. I commend as well your efforts in presiding over the signing of the new European Union constitution, which will further strengthen the U.S.–EU relationship. I thank my good friends Javier and Benita for their work on behalf of the U.S.-EU partnerships. Partnerships is a [inaudible] word in my sense because there are so many areas, at so many different levels, in which we cooperate. The U.S.–EU relationship is built on common values and principles as well as the shared objectives of freedom, peace and opportunity for all people.

As my colleagues have noted, we tackled many tough issues in the course of our conversations today. We committed once again, I’ll reinforce this, to fighting terrorism on a global scale. We both want Iraq’s transformation to succeed, and we are making important steps to support Iraq’s reconstruction and the upcoming elections. Similarly we will continue to support the upcoming Palestinian elections that are upcoming. And we will do everything we can to promote peace and democratic stability throughout the broader Middle East. With regards to Iran, we remain steadfast in working for non-proliferation. In Afghanistan, we are looking at how best to support the parliamentary elections next spring. Our discussions on Russia, China, and the Balkans and a number of other areas were very fruitful and I think quite productive. We also took a good look at the situation in the Balkans, and we are especially pleased with the successful handover from SFOR to EUFOR, which was done in a very professional manner.

Before closing I would like to say a few words about our Dutch host and our bilateral relationship. But Let me begin by expressing my condolences to Queen Beatrix and the Dutch people on the loss of Prince Bernhard who meant so much to them.

The Netherlands has always been in the forefront of the struggle for freedom, for human rights and for development. The U.S. values the Netherlands as a strategic ally, standing shoulder to shoulder in the global war on terrorism, building democratic states in Afghanistan and Iraq, playing a key role in Sudan and contributing to stability in the Balkans and Ukraine. The U.S. very much appreciates efforts by Dutch leadership to strengthen transatlantic relations during their EU presidency. The efforts have made Dutch–U.S. relations all the better and much stronger. The Netherlands plays such an important role on the world stage, far beyond the population or the size of the nation. It does it not simply because of it is in alliance with the United States or that we have a good U.S –EU partnership or because of the U.S. – Netherlands bilateral relationship. They do it because they believe in what they are doing. They believe that they have an important role to play in the world in helping to spread democracy, in inspiring hope in people throughout the world. So I congratulate you, Ben, for the role that your government and your people play in the world, Thank you very much.

MODERATOR: We go to questions. We’ll take alternate turns. First a Dutch journalist, that is Maurice Piek of Dutch television.

QUESTION: Mr. Powell, the Dutch government actually decided to withdraw its troops from Iraq by March. The elections are in January. Would it be better for the stability of the country if the Dutch troops would have stayed longer?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, this is a judgment that the Dutch government had to make. I am pleased that, even though the large contingent will leave in March after the elections thereby ensuring that they are adding to stability in the country for the elections, that they will be remaining behind in some number to support the training of Iraqi personnel. So once again, the Dutch are remaining in Iraq, at a lower number, but it will still be a significant contribution and for that we are grateful.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, George Gedda of AP. You have been to OSCE, NATO, and now to the EU. Can you cite concrete examples of the ways in which the United States relations with Europe are on the mend?

SECRETARY POWELL: I don’t know that our relations with Europe were in as much disrepair as is claimed. And therefore, that there was this huge gap that had to be breached. Were there differences last year? There certainly were. But did we in the same year expand the NATO Alliance? Yes we did. Did we support Europe as it expanded? Yes. Did we work together on the Sudan? Yes. We worked together in so many areas. Did we expand our presence in Afghanistan so that the Afghan people could have a successful presidential election? Yes. So we have done a lot together. And Even though there were fissures or breaches in relationships, I think those breaches are now being closed again and I hope that my visit here this week and the meetings that I have participated in contributed to that. Certainly much more will happen when President Bush comes to show his commitment to the transatlantic relationship on February 22nd.

We have done a lot this week. We came together yesterday at NATO. NATO and Russia made a good statement with respect to Ukraine, on the need for free, fair elections on the 26th. We came together during the course of the week at OSCE, except for Russia and Belarus, on a good statement on Ukraine and twenty-one other agreements that we had full consensus on so that I think is a success as well. We committed ourselves at NATO to provide additional trainers for the mission in Iraq, both to be advisors within the ministries, but also to set up an academy to train officers of the Iraqi armed forces. So I think it has been a successful week where we have demonstrated that the United States is fully committed to all of its transatlantic ties, whether it is through the OSCE, the EU, NATO and bilaterally with so many countries. And where there were significant problems and differences over the past year, yes we are doing everything we can to put those differences behind us and to look forward.

QUESTION: Henk van de Pol ANP. Mr. Powell, after the compliments you gave to Holland, will Mr. Bush visit Holland as well on his trip to Europe?

SECRETARY POWELL: Right now President Bush is scheduled to be in Brussels on the 22nd for NATO in the morning and EU meetings in the afternoon. What else he might be doing on the trip is under consideration now, and I would not speculate as to where he might go. Europe is a very large continent [laughter].

QUESTION: Arshad Mohammed of Reuters. Mr. Secretary, earlier you told us that you and the Iranian Foreign Minister, at Sharm el Sheikh, had discussed Iranian youth and their need for jobs. Did you specifically convey to him your view that the young people Iran will continue to press for reform and that change will eventually come? And did those talks in any way touch on Iran’s nuclear weapons programs or on the Iraq war?

SECRETARY POWELL: No. It was a dinner conversation. We got talking about young people and, in the course of that conversation, we talked about the economy as well. He mentioned the growing cohort of young people and the need to generate jobs. It is, as I previously described it, it was a polite dinner conversation of that type, we did not get into any substance of out bilateral relationship or any bilateral differences we might have.

QUESTION: NRC Handelsblad. Mr. Powell, is it, in your assessment, still possible for the European Union to say no Turkey when the question comes up about starting negotiations about their full membership of the EU?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well this is a matter for European Union to decide, and I will not speculate in any way on what the outcome might be or what I would like to see it to be. This is a matter for the EU to decide. I think Turkey has done a great deal in recent years to meet the standards and conditions and goals that were put before it, and I am sure all of that will be taken into account by the European Union as they deal with this matter next week.

QUESTION: Glen Kessler, with the Washington Post. Mr. Secretary, British officials are planning a February meeting between Israelis and Palestinians which appears to be part of a European effort to push the two sides to final status discussions. Does the U.S. support this British effort? And why, since the parameters for a final deal are well known, why shouldn’t the international community at this point, once an elected Palestinian Authority is in place, begin pushing toward final status discussion?

SECRETARY POWELL: Because the Roadmap is just that, it’s a Roadmap that lays out the reciprocal obligations, responsibilities, commitments of the two parties. And it has always been the agreement on the part of the Quartet members and the Israelis and the Palestinians that the Roadmap has to be followed. You can’t leap ahead and try to get to these final status issues or other phases of the Roadmap until you have created the bond of trust that’s needed for these kinds of negotiations and which comes about early in the first stage of the Roadmap.

Now the British meetings that are scheduled for February, I guess it is now, is an effort on the part of the UK, which we support and applaud, to bring the parties together to talk about issues. But I don’t sense that it is supposed to be final status negotiations or whether they will even get to the final status issues.

And so the Roadmap is the path that we follow. Javier and I have had conversations over the last several days about the important role that the Quartet will be ready to play as we move down the Roadmap. But we have had so many false starts with this peace process over the years that I think it is important for us to, one, wait until there is a good election on the 9th of January, we hope, that gives us a Palestinian president with the mandate of the Palestinian people. And then let that President create a government that is functioning, that is able to exercise control. And then we have a whole issue of disengagement from Gaza and the four settlements in the West Bank to get us into the Roadmap. And if things are quiet and if the commitments that the two parties have made right now toward getting a successful election under their belt and then moving forward, then we are on a path to, perhaps to the goal we all seek, which is a Palestinian state. But we can’t rush it, and the Roadmap is the way, and the Roadmap is quite detailed with respect to the obligations and the responsibilities of the parties. Javier, do you want to say a word?

HIGH REPRESENTATIVE SOLANA: You said everything. [Laughter]

MODERATOR: We will take two more questions. Gentleman on the right.

QUESTION: CNBC Europe. This for Mr. Bot and Mr. Powell. Mr. Bot, your office yesterday issued a rather angry statement about the Nethercutt amendment adopted by Congress this week, which basically bans U.S. development aid from going to countries that fully support the International Criminal Court. Was that issue raised today? And if so, what was the response?

FOREIGN MINISTER BOT: No, the issue was not raised today. We have raised the issue on many other occasions. And I think that the United States is very well aware of the Netherlands’ position and of the European position as far as that is concerned. And I hope we will be able to find a solution to the problem by continuous dialogue. But, as I say, the United States is very well aware of what our viewpoint is, and that we continue to press that point.

SECRETARY POWELL: It did not come up today, and I fully share what the minister said.

QUESTION: Question for Secretary Powell and Mr. Bot. The EU seems to be moving in the direction of lifting the arms embargo on China. I am wondering if that issue came up? And what Mr. Secretary did you relate to your EU colleagues about U.S. concerns?

SECRETARY POWELL: It did come up. We took note of the activities the EU has undertaken recently in their recent meetings with the Chinese. They are aware of our view that the embargo should remain in place. It was put in place as a result of human rights issues. I don’t think they have been dealt with, and we think it would be in the best interest of all concerned for the embargo to remain in place. But I understand it is a difficult issue for the European Union to wrestle with, and I know they are working on it.

FOREIGN MINISTER BOT: I think we have discussed this also yesterday in the context of the summit with the Chinese prime minister. We have always underlined that whatever is going to happen, the purpose is that there should not be an increase, neither in quantity nor in quality, of weapons if the embargo were to be lifted. But, as you have noticed in the joint statement, which was issued at the end of the summit, the EU–China summit, all we expressed was that there is a political will to move towards, if, and that is a very big if, and it concerns both the code of conduct and what we call the toolbox. And of course we have added, as you have seen, a long paragraph on human rights where we also hope that China will make the necessary gestures to also signal to, not only to Europe, but to the world that it is moving forward in that respect as well. As I say what is most important is, first of all, that no decision has been taken, in that respect, by the European Union so far, and b, that we are working on the code of conduct and on the toolbox to see to it that arms exports from Europe will not increase neither in quality nor in quantity. Thank you.

MODERATOR: That concludes this press conference. Thank you all very much.