Visit of Secretary of State Albright to the Middle East

En Route to Rabat, Morocco -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says the Middle East peace talks are in "a hopeful stage."

Speaking to reporters during her September 1 flight from Washington to Rabat, Morocco, the Secretary emphasized that "it is critically important that now the Israelis and Palestinians are in fact dealing with each other directly."

Proof that negotiation can really work will come when the 1998 Wye agreement is finally implemented, she said. In addition to greater security cooperation and economic benefits, Albright said implementation of the Wye agreement will provide the basis for resumption of permanent status negotiations on an accelerated basis. That, she said, "is really the only path that is possible toward moving toward comprehensive peace...."

Albright declined to discuss specifics regarding potential talks on the Israel-Syria-Lebanon tracks of the peace talks.

In Morocco, she will meet with the country's King Mohamed, and to pay her condolences on the death of his father, King Hassan. Morocco, she noted, has historically been active in the Middle East peace process.

Following is the State Department transcript:

(Begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
(Rabat, Morocco)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Availability With
Secretary Of State Madeleine K. Albright
On Board Aircraft
En Route To Rabat, Morocco
September 1, 1999

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think that it's very clear that we've entered a hopeful stage here in the peace process and I am very glad to being going out on this trip. There's no question though, that while there is a greater sense of hope about this, clearly there are a lot of challenges out there that have been presented to us, all of us, that have to be overcome. But my general sense is that we have a second chance here to move towards what is a unified priority and has been for the United States (inaudible) partners in this, is to move towards a comprehensive peace. So I'm very glad that I'm going to be there, that the President and I have been very involved in the last weeks. We are playing the role that I think the parties want us to (inaudible) and how we want to work with them. I think this is a very important time but a lot remains to be done and there are a lot of challenges out there for us.

Let me just briefly say, on the Israeli-Palestinian track, they are still working very hard to reach an agreement. And we're in touch with both sides and we're working very hard to try to help them bridge the final gaps. We'll have a better idea this evening whether we have managed to do that or not.

There are three general points that I think are worth making on this track. First, that it is critically important that now the Israelis and Palestinians are in fact dealing with each other directly. It's a very good beginning in that regard. As you know, in the last years they had not. That had taken a toll on the whole process itself and the fact that they are talking with each other on a regular basis I think is restoring the confidence level that is necessary for this.

Second, the implementation of Wye will produce some concrete and tangible results for the Israelis and the Palestinians. There (inaudible) on the redeployment, greater security cooperation, and the anti-terror efforts are going to continue. There'll be something on the prisoners, safe passage, and important economic issues. These are very specific points that really reaffirms the fact that these negotiations work.

And third, this agreement is going to provide the basis for the resumption of the permanent status negotiations on an accelerated basis and that is really the only path that is possible toward moving toward comprehensive peace to move forward.

On the Israel-Syria-Lebanon tracks, I am going to see what I can do to move the process along. I can't predict now where these negotiations will ultimately go, but in contrast to the Palestinian tracks where they have been dealing with each other, they have not in the last three years. And so I think that on the other hand, both sides have expressed a desire to start the process up again. And I think here again it's very important for us to move to a comprehensive peace and I think that I'm glad to be able to be there to see whether we can get this going. But let me just say I'm not interested in just the resumption of negotiations for the sake of having negotiations. We want to see the talks start and be sustained so an agreement can be reached. That's where we are generally on this.

QUESTION: There was a problem with Wye, the prisoners issue. (inaudible) Do you anticipate that the agreement will resolve the prisoners issue?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I am not going to get into the details of what they are agreeing on.

QUESTION: I'll put it aside.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: This is one of the various subjects that are under discussion now. That's one of them and we'll have to see. They don't have an agreement yet but when they do we'll know the answer to that.

QUESTION: Are you bringing with you any record of where the talks left off between Syria and Israel in 1996? The Syrians have asked repeatedly for a sort of memo describing the US view of where the talks stood to resolve this dispute between the Israelis and the Syrians over where they were when they left off.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I am not going to go into any details of what we are going to do in Damascus. I think, as I said, what we are going to try to do, my own sense is, both parties want very much to have these negotiations go forward. They want to figure out how to get started. And we want to do what we can to assist. But I'm not going to go into details.

QUESTION: What is the possibility that you might go back to Damascus a second time in the near future?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: You know, I am not going to predict that either. We will just see. What I want to do is to play a fruitful role at the behest of the parties. As you know, the reason that the United States all along has been involved in the peace process is because it is a national interest of ours also; to have a comprehensive peace. And so I will be available to go when, and if, necessary.

QUESTION: Are you closer to finding some kind of formula that will satisfy both sides? That seems to be the trick of the moment to do something that gets them both off their (inaudible).

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: They need to figure out how to start. But again, I am not going to go into details.

QUESTION: Could you say a few words about Morocco?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I am going to Morocco, first of all, because I want to pay my condolences to King Mohamed on the death of King Hassan. I did not have a chance to do that. And I also want to discuss with him, generally, our bilateral relations; the importance of the region. They have also been active in the past in the peace process. So this is really just a way to really have a meeting with the King and with some high level officials on some of the bilateral and mutual issues.

QUESTION: (inaudible) until Egypt came to terms with this, Morocco was the traditional first stop (inaudible). Do you see Morocco having a larger role?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Again, it is very hard to predict who will take what role. But Morocco has had an important role and in my conversations, I called King Mohamed immediately upon King Hassan's death, because I was not able to go to the funeral. We talked about the fact that they would have to have an important role in the peace process.

QUESTION: How disappointed will you be if there isn't an agreement that can be reached between the Israelis and the Palestinians while you are in (inaudible).

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I have become fairly stoic about this. I think that this is a long process. And we go back and forth. I would hope that we will see some progress. But if we don't we will keep at it because, as I said, this is a very high priority for the President and for me. But I would like to reiterate what I started out with, that this is a hopeful moment because they have been working with each other in a way that they have not been working and confidence has been rebuilt. It does not mean that they agree on everything. But there is a different atmosphere and a different atmosphere, I think, can produce something now that, if it does not produce something now, it will produce something later.

QUESTION: It is not a "now or never" situation?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: No it's not. Besides, let me just say this, Wye is going to be implemented, in some form or another, during the month of September. So, this will happen. And in that regard, I think that (inaudible). Up front there will be things on additional land security, prisoners, the port, that was the list I read through (inaudible).

QUESTION: The Wye Agreement has all sorts of Trilateral Committees, with the United States sitting between Israel and the Palestinians to judge everything from compliance on human rights to who should be Palestinian policemen. Will the new Wye have this kind of US role?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I have no comment on that at this stage. We will have to see. What I have found is that our best role is to do what the parties want us to do and I think that has been kind of a (inaudible). And I think that is the way we ought to proceed. And what I have found already is that there are lots of things that they want us involved in and I can just tell you that the President and I have been on the phone a lot, in the last few days, in the last month, and ...

QUESTION: Have you spoken with Arafat in the last few days? Because there is always a little of that nervousness about whether Arafat will ... What are your concerns?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think he is in a good mood. I think that he said that he is looking forward to seeing me and I think he is engaged in this.

QUESTION: There are some doubts whether he will actually sign, he seems to always get stage fright. "Oh, I have not seen this paper." "I am not going to sign at all." Or something else causes him to stop just before the moment.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Everybody has their own style. I think he is very much engaged in this process. He is trying to get the best that he can for his people.

QUESTION: Madam Secretary, does the Palestinian Authority want you to become more involved than you are? Do you get the sense that they are eager for more American involvement?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think that they are satisfied with what we are doing. As you know I had Abu Mazen and Saeb Erekat over to my house last week. And we are talking to them all the time, and I have not gotten the sense that they are unhappy.

QUESTION: Do you have the sense that they may be delaying this agreement until you get there so that you can work things out?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Very hard to tell. I'm not good at that kind of scoping out.

QUESTION: If there is no agreement in Alexandria, can you see a scenario in which you might stay, if you were requested by either side, to help secure an agreement?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: You have seen my schedule and I think it is hard to see that. I mean I have to be in many places and a lot of it is set.

QUESTION: Madam Secretary, earlier you spoke about your playing the role that both parties want you to play. But when both parties disagree on the role that they want from the United States, how do you handle it?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: What we try to do... our role is not the question here. We have to focus on the substance, and on the process, and the extent to which our being involved, at the request of the parties, or because of our national interests, is something that changes. It is a changing role. I think we are very pragmatic about it and I think we have evolved a terrific role. Let me just go back on something. I had said earlier to you that the last three years have been the kind of thing where they did not talk to each other. And therefore we were definitely kind of the go-betweens and much more into contacting, interpreting one side to the other. When they are actually talking to each other, which is what we want, then we can step back a little bit and then get engaged when we can make a difference for, either because one side or the other has asked us to, or because we think it will be useful. And so I think it is very hard to define it as any single specific role, but it clearly is one where we have an interest because it is also something that is in our national interest.

QUESTION: Last October they were speaking with one another, and you played a large role in getting an agreement. If they are not able to implement this agreement during your trip here, would you acknowledge that the bloom has fallen off the rose in terms of the optimism that had been in the air?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Not really. I think that no matter what, no matter how you look at this, there is a different mood. There is a desire to have peace. There is a sense that we have to move on. And I don't think that we are so stuck on exactly when, all I can tell you for all my conversations is that this is just a different approach to this. And a desire to get it done.

QUESTION: Has it been more a question of substance than rhetoric than in the past? Is it more about detail?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: It is much more so. It is much less public, kind of making comments, about what is going on and actually working and I think that that is really what we all wanted. It is not being played out publicly, and I think that is useful.

QUESTION: I was going to say that the US, when they were not dealing well with each other, the US was not simply a "host" or a "hostess" that invited them to the table. You folks prescribed how much land Israel was to give to the Palestinians. And you went public with it. And you, not you necessarily but I think the State Department did, the Administration said, "let's do something by a certain point, or else." Hey we gave ultimatums. So if you like this government because they are moving, but should the two sides have gone into this issue of timetable, but (inaudible) get into a jam or into a disagreement -- after all this is not a love-fest, they do have suspicions of each other -- will the US be prepared again to jump in and say "this is what we think about Jerusalem. Here is what we think about refugees." The President has been doing this; talking about the rights of refugees at every place. He supports Palestinian aspirations. What I am saying is that we are not just a master of ceremonies. We have been involved. Are we prepared to be specifically involved again as we were with Netanyahu?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: This is all hypothetical at the moment. They are engaged. I am not going to predict what our role is going to be in that regard, but what I find that is so interesting here is you have now all the parties that are looking at getting this done within a particular timeframe, and having a sense of direction and momentum. And rather than trying to drag it out. And I think that we are satisfied with the way things are going. We are prepared to take whatever role is necessary, and keeping in mind the fact that the only agreements that really are the best ones are the agreements where the parties have agreed with each other.

QUESTION: Do you see the American role as being . . . transferring now more to the Syrian track, where they clearly are not talking to each other and where you have the same situation with the Palestinians?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think that clearly the Syrian track has not been active. (inaudible) and again they are, it is my estimation, that both the Syrians and the Israelis want to get started. So we will have to see again how much we can and should do. The same point is that it is better when they talk to each other.

QUESTION: They want to get started but they want the other side to take the first move. They want the ... what do you do to move them off of that?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I am not going to go into the details of that. But I think you are absolutely right. It is a question of how to get this started because I think they all want to (inaudible).

QUESTION: Not to get into details, Madam Secretary, can you say that you are going to be bringing any new ideas to the table?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I am not going to go into details. As I am saying, this is a negotiation that they are carrying on. It would not help anything.

QUESTION: Is it fair to say that the US is not bringing any new ideas but will be passing on messages?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: It is not fair to say that either. The fair thing to say is that "she did not give any details."

QUESTION: Number one, how likely do you think it is, specifically how likely do you think it is that there will be an agreement before you reach Egypt? And number two, when would you like to see an overall Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, a final agreement, which you obviously know was due in May?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: First of all I am not going to predict how likely. What I am saying, and I did say, is that Wye, in some form or another, will be implemented during the month of September. And in terms of the overall, this is a very high priority for President Clinton. So you can figure out the timing for yourself.

Thank you all. See you later.

(End transcript)