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Q: Could you enlighten us on the whereabouts tomorrow during the peace talks of the Secretary and Dennis Ross and Martin Indyk? Beginning at the White House with the President--will they be in the talks? Will they be close at hand? Will they join the talks? What is the expectation? MR. FOLEY: I'll answer your question. In general terms, though, the arrangements for the meetings are being handled by the White House. Any announcements will come out of the White House. I believe, in fact, there is a background briefing over there about the talks that will begin in about 45 minutes. My understanding, though, first of all, the parties have come to Washington to meet with each other. That that is the principal purpose is for them to resume their track of negotiations. Each side recognizes the important role the United States has played historically in the Middle East peace process, the helpful role we played in encouraging them to resume the track and our willingness in the persons of President Clinton and Secretary Albright and, indeed, Ambassador Ross to be as helpful as the parties want us to be. But they are coming here to negotiate with each other. The President will be meeting with the parties I believe at the beginning and the end of the meetings and Secretary Albright will be available, as will Ambassador Ross, to participate at any time during the two days that they are here in Washington. I cannot predict when that will be, what form that will take; it is simply an assertion of their constant availability throughout the duration of these talks. Q: That helps, but as you go into the talks, the President will talk to these two folks. Will the Secretary of State or Ross or Indyk--and if Indyk isn't part of this, please correct me--will they be in any of these meetings? Will they meet with the two, do you know? MR. FOLEY: I don't have the participation in the meeting with the President. I assume the Secretary will be in those meetings. I believe also it's envisaged she'll be meeting, herself, tomorrow also at the time of the White House meetings with both Prime Minister Barak separately and with Foreign Minister Shara separately. Q: This is a purely technical question. I am confused by the schedule that was put out today. Is Indyk both Ambassador to Israel and still Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern-- MR. FOLEY: He's Ambassador-designate to Israel. Q: He hasn't been confirmed, then? MR. FOLEY: I believe he has been confirmed, yes, but he doesn't become ambassador until he arrives at post, presents his credentials. Q: Which he has not done yet? MR. FOLEY: No, he has not left for Israel yet so he is still Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Q: Is the Secretary still planning to go to meet the arrivees tonight? MR. FOLEY: Yes, that certainly is the plan. She is scheduled to greet Foreign Minister Shara at Dulles Airport this evening and she is scheduled to greet Prime Minister Barak when he arrives at Andrews Air Force Base. I think all of you know the timing issues involved. It's going to be a challenge for her to be present at both arrivals. That's her aim is to try to do that. We're in contact with both the Syrian and the Israeli Embassies. We're trying to coordinate as best as we can, but that is her intention to try to be there for both. Q: Being in touch with the Syrian Embassy is quite an achievement. MR. FOLEY: It wasn't me personally. Q: Well, somebody had a lot of patience. But are you sure about Dulles because the indirect word we've gotten--and I say the Syrian Embassy is a no-answer-the-phone operation or hello, how are you--was Andrews. So Shara is Dulles? MR. FOLEY: Yes. Q: Okay. And the Prime Minister--they answer the phone a little bit more--is at Andrews. Do you know the times? MR. FOLEY: I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of these? Q: No, it's all right. It's just annoying, that's all. MR. FOLEY: The scheduled arrivals are 6:45 p.m. for the Foreign Minister at Dulles and 7:30 for the Prime Minister at Andrews. Q: Thank you so much. Q: Moving on to the talks about Israel and Syria, what does the Secretary hope to have achieved by the time the talks conclude here? And if the talks continue, what will her role be beyond that point? MR. FOLEY: I think I spoke to this yesterday. I'd have to refer you to my transcript. The fact is Secretary Albright has spoken several times on television and including during her visit to the Middle East last week, she spoke about her hopes and her sense of the historic nature of the opportunity that is upon us now. I yesterday talked a little bit about the fact that this is indeed a very historic occasion and a great opportunity which starts tomorrow, but we don't expect that these initial two days of discussions will yield agreement on the major areas--and there are four--that are to be negotiated between the parties. We expect that this will help the parties define the issues, determine how they're going to negotiate, at what pace, at what level, in what location. All this will come out and we hope that they will get a good start on the substantive issues. But our understanding is that the parties want to take a very intensive approach to the negotiations and so we would expect them to resume in fairly short order. But you will have to wait for the meetings tomorrow and Thursday for a determination on the follow-on talks and all the details you're interested in that respect. Q: A news agency out of Jerusalem reported that an Israeli minister said that the US had made some assurances to Syria regarding Syria's relationship with Turkey, that there was some understanding reached that the US would help Syria sort out some of its bilateral issues concerning Turkey. MR. FOLEY: I had not heard that. I would be glad to look into it for you, though. [end of document] |
