USA: THE UNITED STATES WILL OFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP NORTH KOREA WITH TRAIN BLAST AFTERMATH
Record ID:
337908
USA: THE UNITED STATES WILL OFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP NORTH KOREA WITH TRAIN BLAST AFTERMATH
- Title: USA: THE UNITED STATES WILL OFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP NORTH KOREA WITH TRAIN BLAST AFTERMATH
- Date: 26th April 2004
- Summary: (U6)WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (APRIL 26, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL AND DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER PER STIG MOELLER WALKING OUT OF U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT FOLLOWING TALKS 0.17 2. SV REPORTERS LISTENING TO REMARKS 0.21 3. MCU (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "We will be making an offer of some financial assistance, and we are waiting to see what the need is and what else we might be able to do. This is a humanitarian tragedy: children have been injured, homes lost, and America has always been a giving nation that will respond in time of need. And so, we are making the United Nations aware of our willingness to participate in whatever relief efforts that might be appropriate for us to participate in." 0.52 4. SV REPORTERS LISTENING 0.56 5. MCU DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER, PER STIG MOELLER, SAYING: "Well, the situation is that we have Resolution 1511, which only runs out in October, I think. That means the resolution is OK. But, if we want a broader support, it is obvious that we need a new resolution which authorises a new government from the 1st of July and asks country to come in and stabilise and help the new government. And we have said, 'If a new government does not invite us to stay, we will not stay,' because the new government has authority and must have authority to invite countries to stay. And I've said that also to the Iraqi authority when I was in Baghdad three or four weeks ago, and I said, 'We will not stay unless we're invited.' And they said, 'You will be invited.'" PAN TO (English) POWELL SAYING: "The context of the conversation we were having was that, in order to expand the number of contributors to providing troops to Iraq and other support to Iraq, a new U.N. resolution would be quite appropriate and proper as we get closer to transferring sovereignty. And, of course, we would also expect the new sovereign, the new government in Iraq to invite security forces to stay and to encourage others to come. And so, the context of our conversation was how could we use that resolution to broaden the coalition to get more nations to contribute to the coalition?" 2.18 6. SLV OF POWELL AND MOELLER 2.20 7. MCU (English) POWELL SAYING: "Obviously, we were very disappointed. We believe that an important opportunity, a historic opportunity, was lost. But the people have spoken, and one must listen to the will of the people when they speak through referenda, or other means of expressing their view. The European Union is meeting on it today, and I think they have made some statements about how they will continue to provide assistance to Turkish-Cypriots. We are reviewing our position, and we'll also be reviewing the actions of the European Union to make sure that we are operating in a way that is consistent with our European colleagues, but I believe a great opportunity has been lost." 3.02 8. SV REPORTERS 3.05 9. SV POWELL AND MOELLER SHAKING HANDS, WALKING AWAY 3.12 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th May 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA1EUF1OJ2B28DFS45RJUXD9N4F
- Story Text: Powell says U.S. will offer money to help North
Korea with train blast aftermath, expresses disappointment
in Cyprus referenda results.
The United States will offer financial assistance
and possibly other aid to help North Korea cope with the
huge train blast that killed at least 161 people last week,
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Monday (April
26).
"We will be making an offer, some financial assistance,
and we are waiting to see what the need is and what else we
might be able to do," Powell told reporters, adding "We are
making the United Nations aware of our willingness to
participate in whatever relief efforts it might be
appropriate for us to participate in."
Washington has labeled North Korea part of "an axis of
evil" along with Iran and pre-war Iraq, and is leading a
drive to end North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
Powell's comments came following talks at the U.S.
State Department with Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig
Moeller. NATO member Denmark is a staunch U.S. ally in the
war in Iraq and its centre-right government, like
Washington, has come under fire for allegedly
misrepresenting the risk of Iraq having weapons of mass
destruction before the invasion a year ago.
Moeller said that a new United Nations resolution was
necessary to win broader international support for the
stabilisation of Iraq.
"If we want a broader support, it is obvious that we
need a new resolution which authorises a new government
from the 1st of July and asks countries to come in and
stabilise and help the new government. And we have said,
'If a new government does not invite us to stay, we will
not stay,' because the new government has authority and
must have authority to invite countries to stay. And I've
said that also to the Iraqi authority when I was in Baghdad
three or four weeks ago, and I said, 'We will not stay
unless we're invited.' And they said, 'You will be
invited,'" he said.
Powell agreed that a new Iraqi government would
encourage U.S.-led security forces to remain.
"The context of the conversation we were having was
that, in order to expand the number of contributors to
providing troops to Iraq and other support to Iraq, a new
U.N. resolution would be quite appropriate and proper as we
get closer to transferring sovereignty. And, of course, we
would also expect the new sovereign, the new government in
Iraq to invite security forces to stay and to encourage
others to come," he said.
And, in his first public reaction to the referendum
rejection, a disappointed Powell held out the possibility
of U.S. aid to Turkish Cypriots as a reward for their 'yes'
vote.
Powell, who had lobbied hard for weeks for the peace
plan to be approved, also suggested Washington's response
would be in line with the European Union.
"Obviously, we were disappointed. We believe an
important opportunity, a historic opportunity was lost. But
the people have spoken and one must listen to the will of
the people," Powell said.
"The European Union is meeting on it today, and I think
they have made some statements about how they will continue
to provide assistance to Turkish-Cypriots. We are reviewing
our position, and we'll also be reviewing the actions of
the European Union to make sure that we are operating in a
way that is consistent with our European colleagues. But I
believe a great opportunity has been lost," he said.
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