USA: THE UNITED STATES WILL OFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP NORTH KOREA WITH TRAIN BLAST AFTERMATH

Record ID: 337908

  • 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
  • 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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