GERMANY: British Foreign Secretary satisfied with U.S. Vice President's first comments in office

Record ID: 563097

  • Title: GERMANY: British Foreign Secretary satisfied with U.S. Vice President's first comments in office
  • Date: 8th February 2009
  • Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 7, 2009) (REUTERS) JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, DAVID MILIBAND, SAYING: "I think Vice President Biden cam to Munich today in the spirit of partnership. I think he set an ambitious agenda with big goals and high objectives and he called and challenged us to work with him and I think that's the right spirit. I think if he had come here with new announcements it wouldn't have been quite in the spirit of partnership that he's described. So I don't think anyone should be disappointed. I think it was a very full description of the challenges that we face and a very strong commitment to work together." MILIBAND TALKING TO DELEGATES (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, DAVID MILIBAND, SAYING: "We have taken back nine British citizens and we have four British residents also in Britain so 13 people have returned to Britain and two more are coming, so I hope that other European countries will be able to learn from our experience. We've certainly offered our experience to other European countries and I know from other Foreign Ministers that there is a lot of interest in helping to close Guantanamo which is obviously the right thing to do. Thank you very much."
  • Embargoed: 23rd February 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVADADO66KZMMBA9H7ADBTQLRH52
  • Story Text: British Foreign Secretary says no one should be disappointed with the outcome of the second day of the Munich Security Conference.
    British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Saturday (February 7) he is satisfied with the comments made by new U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in his first major speech in office.

    "I think he set an ambitious agenda with big goals and high objectives and he called and challenged us to work with him and I think that's the right spirit. I think if he had come here with new announcements it wouldn't have been quite in the spirit of partnership that he's described. So I don't think anyone should be disappointed. I think it was a very full description of the challenges that we face and a very strong commitment to work together," Miliband told reporters in Munich.
    Miliband also added his support for the closure of Guantanamo Bay, one of the first objectives set out by President Obama's administration.

    "We have taken back nine British citizens and we have four British residents also in Britain so 13 people have returned to Britain and two more are coming, so I hope that other European countries will be able to learn from our experience. We've certainly offered our experience to other European countries and I know from other Foreign Ministers that there is a lot of interest in helping to close Guantanamo which is obviously the right thing to do," Miliband said.
    Earlier on Saturday U.S. Vice President Joe Biden promised a sharp break from the go-it-alone policies of the Bush era , saying it was time to "reset" Washington's ties with Russia and talk to Iran.
    He vowed to end torture, close the Guantanamo military prison in Cuba and advance democracy "not through its imposition by force from the outside, but by working with moderates" in foreign governments.
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