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Mr. Boucher: All right, I'm on the record, Richard Boucher as Spokesman here. Where we are at the end of the day's meetings is as follows. Negotiations will continue in the Washington area for a couple more days. Question: I'm sorry, could you repeat that? Mr. Boucher: Negotiations will continue in the Washington area for a few more days. Question: Is it a couple or is it a few? Mr. Boucher: It's a few. Question: What's the difference? Question: A couple is two, and a few is three or more. Mr. Boucher: It's a few. Okay, a few more days. Then we would expect the negotiators to return home to consult with their leaders. Expect Ambassador Dennis Ross to go to the Middle East next week and the Secretary will go in about 10 days time. The purpose of her visit will be to determine whether a summit is useful at that point or whether we need to continue the discussions that have been ongoing. The status of the summit itself is exactly where the President put it yesterday; we're prepared to do it when it's properly prepared, when we think the issues are ready. So the Secretary's trip will be an assessment to determine if we're ready and close enough on the issues to go to a summit or whether we need to continue to work the issues through the other negotiating processes. Question: That sounds like it would--(inaudible)-- Mr. Boucher: Yeah. Anticipating some questions, I'd say that in the negotiations here in the Washington area, the negotiators will meet in different locations. They have had some discussions with each other today. Naturally, today is mostly devoted to the meetings with Chairman Arafat. The Secretary has met with Shlomo Ben Ami, Israeli negotiator. She has talked to Prime Minister Barak on the telephone. Question: Today? Mr. Boucher: Today. All the issues are being discussed, permanent status issues as well as interim ones. But I want to make clear we're discussing these issues in order to find areas of commonality, as well as to define the differences and clarify the differences. Clearly, they're facing a lot of tough issues, dealing with fundamental issues here. We've talked about this as looking at coming to the end of conflict, and that involves some very fundamental issues for both sides. So that's where we are. Question: Can you tell us, were there any direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians today on the interim issues? Mr. Boucher: There were some direct discussions between them today. I don't want to define those issues. Question: Where-- Mr. Boucher: But talks will continue, both at Bolling and at Andrews. Question: On both tracks? Mr. Boucher: Both at Bolling and at Andrews. Question: So she will go after the Democracy Conference? Mr. Boucher: Around. Question: You don't know whether she'll go before or after? Mr. Boucher: It's about 10 days. It's not scheduled yet. The precise date is not scheduled yet. It's around 10 days from now. Question: Is it still possible she would go before? Mr. Boucher: It's around 10 days from now. It's possible either way. Question: Around her 10-day trip? Mr. Boucher: Which is the Democracy Conference. Question: The 22nd is the Democracy Conference, so it's either--if it's after, then it's not around 10 days. That's 13 days. I mean-- Mr. Boucher: It's a few/couple more than 10 days, close to, plus or minus several. It's not scheduled yet. It's more than a week and less than 2 weeks from now. Okay? Question: No more than 2 weeks? Question: She would go directly from the Poland trip to the Middle East? Mr. Boucher: Anything's possible. It's possible she could go on the way; it's possible she could go on the way out. Question: Just for planning purposes, are there any other trips that are shaping up around the Warsaw trip? Mr. Boucher: There will be other stops beforehand for the Warsaw trip. Question: On the same continent or another continent? Mr. Boucher: Many continents. I will rule out Antarctica. I won't rule out any other continent. Question: She spent more of her time today dealing with the prisoners and the third withdrawal or, I mean, you keep saying these are difficult issues. But, in fact, the one that seems to be causing the trouble are the interim issues, not the final status. Mr. Boucher: Today is a day to discuss all the issues. That means the permanent status, the fundamental and the conflict issues, as well as on the interim, so everything has been under discussion. Question: Richard, where exactly is she? Is she just going to--(inaudible)-- Mr. Boucher: Not defined yet. The region. Question: On this specific part that you're announcing right now, you don't know? Mr. Boucher: She will go to the region in about 10 days. That's as much as we can tell you. Question: Is there any reason that, with these talks going on, Washington has given you any hope? Mr. Boucher: I'm not trying to hint at something else, Matt. It's just not planned yet. It could be exactly what we were announcing Question: This trip that you're now announcing, has anything happened this week in Washington that's given you hope to think that if she goes there she will decide that we're ready for a summit? Mr. Boucher: I don't think I'd try to characterize it one way or the other. What I'd say is we are working the process to try to prepare the issues for the summit, and the next steps in the process are the ones that I've just outlined for you. That's where we think--what we think we need to do in the next week to 10 days before seeing if we can get preparations right so that we can do a summit and have some chance of success. Question: Are we going to have a press availability with her tomorrow with Axworthy? Mr. Boucher: I'm not sure. A camera spray with Axworthy? Question: Camera spray? Question: Do you expect the negotiations at Andrews and Bolling to go beyond--I'm assuming they'll have a break on Saturday--(inaudible)--take a break. But they may continue on Sunday? Mr. Boucher: Did I say several? Okay. I think I changed. When you asked me about a couple and a few, and I changed it from a couple to a few. Question: No, a couple doesn't bother me. Mr. Boucher: Okay. Well, I made it--after the question, I made it a few. Question: Do you know about this wire report that the U.S. Ambassador to Portugal--some report that I have yet to see but I was told about that the U.S. ambassador to Portugal has now been--I'm sorry, that we accept the revote--(inaudible)--of the-- Question: The election or the OAS? Question: Yes, thank you. The results of the election. Mr. Boucher: I don't know--(inaudible). [end of document] Remarks Index | Near Eastern Affairs | Department of State | Secretary of State |
