- Title: USA: NATO: POWELL AND ROBERTSON SPEAK TO PRESS AFTER MEETING.
- Date: 6th May 2003
- Summary: (U6) WASHINGTON D.C., USA (MAY 5, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL AND NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL GEORGE ROBERTSON WALKING OUT OF STATE DEPARTMENT 0.06 2. SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "It is up to the North Koreans to make an informed judgement as to whatever they wish to do. We will work with our friends and allies to make sure that whatever they already have or whatever they have in the future is not exported to the rest of the world. This is the time to work with our friends and allies and try to impress upon North Korea that better opportunities and support awaits them within the region if they were to simply begin acting in a more responsible way than they have in the past with respect to nuclear weapons programs as well as proliferation activities and other activities of the regime as well as the sort of drug trafficking they do. Take note of the ship that the Australians stopped not too long ago. These kinds of behaviour will not help the people of North Korean come out of the serious economic dip that they find so we will continue to pursue president's policy of diplomacy on a multi-lateral basis, working with our friends in the region as well as with the United Nations." 3. SOUNDBITE (English) NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL GEORGE ROBERTSON SAYING: "NATO made a historic decision on the April 16 to take on responsibility for the international assistance force and we did so at a time when many people said that we would not get consensus on anything after Iraq. In relation to Iraq, the matter is being informally discussed following the meeting we had last month with Secretary Powell. No decision has been made at this time but everyone recognises that there is a challenge for the whole of the international community." 4. MEDIA 5. SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "Our consultations will increase in intensity over the next several days in order to get some agreement on the kind of resolution which would be successfully acted upon by the Security Council. We are committed to lifting the sanctions and are anxious to see that happen as soon as we can." 6. MEDIA 2.22 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 21st May 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WASHINGTON D.C., USA
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVABZY3LO6OSU8TT3IVPGPR7DCL3
- Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has repeated the
U.S. administration's long-held position on North Korea,
saying Washington would not be intimidated by Pyongyang's
threats to expand its nuclear programme.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with NATO Secretary
General George Robertson on Monday (May 5) U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell urged North Korea to consider the benefits
of halting their nuclear weapons programs.
"It is up to the North Koreans to make an informed
judgement as to whatever they wish to do. We will work with
our friends and allies to make sure that whatever they already
have or whatever they have in the future is not exported to
the rest of the world. This is the time to work with our
friends and allies and try to impress upon North Korea that
better opportunities and support awaits them within the region
if they were to simply begin acting in a more responsible way
than they have in the past with respect to nuclear weapons
programs as well as proliferation activities and other
activities of the regime as well as the sort of drug
traffkicking they do," Powell said.
Robertson was in Washington for meeting in the future of
Iraq: "NATO made a historic decision on the April 16 to take
on responsibility for the international assistance force and
we did so at a time when many people said that we would not
get consensus on anything after Iraq. In relation to Iraq,
the matter is being informally discussed following the
meeting we had last month with Secretary Powell. No decision
has been made at this time but everyone recognises that there
is a challenge for the whole of the international community,"
he told reporters outside the State Department.
"Our consultations will increase in intensity over the next
several days in order to get some agreement on the kind of
resolution which would be successfully acted upon by the
Security Council," Powell said on the subject of the future of
Iraq. There has been some debate on the United Nations role in
the country following the war.
The meeting between the two men comes ahead of a meeting at
the White House with U.S. President George W. Bush.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
