U.S.-Europe Must Cooperate on Iraq, Middle East, Says Zoellick

Holds joint press briefing with Elmar Brok of European Parliament

The critical importance of U.S.-European cooperation in advancing peace, development and democratization in the Middle East, as well as curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, was the theme of a joint press conference with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and Elmar Brok, chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee April 5.

The two met in Brussels, Belgium, near the end of Zoellick’s nine-day visit to Europe, a trip that he said was intended “to complement the trips of President Bush and Secretary Rice by [including] a number of the capitals that they did not have a chance to visit.”

President Bush during his visit to Europe in February recognized the growing strength of the U.S.-European partnership on a range of issues such as encouraging reform in the Middle East, moving the Israeli-Palestinian issue forward, dealing with Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and supporting a stable and democratic Iraq, Zoellick pointed out.

One of the observations President Bush made during his trip was that Europeans and Americans want to work together on the next stage of the reconstruction process in Iraq – “the provision of electricity, building a legal system, some of the decentralization of the political authority, helping to create an economic environment for jobs,” Zoellick said.

On the Middle East, Zoellick and Brok both spoke of the new opportunities as well as the uncertainties and challenges of promoting peace and freedom.  “Europe and the United States have to be more active and do more in the future because here we have a brilliant chance for a solution over the broader Middle East context,” said Brok, while Zoellick said it is important “to observe the process of change and to try to work and support the modernizers and reformers.”

Brok added that “we have seen now that the path to peace and freedom in the Middle East and Broader Middle East is only possible if the United States and Europe act in a partnership. And what we have learned is that the most value for this partnership is a united Europe.”

Zoellick also answered questions about U.S.-European cooperation aimed at thwarting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the possibility that the European Union may lift its arms embargo on China. 

He said the United States is not only working with the European Union Three (EU-3) on Iran, but in addition he has been discussing the issue during this trip with the European Parliament and member states.  “We think that our cooperation together is important to focus on the key issue, which is preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability,” Zoellick said.

Brok pointed out that the European Parliament is against the lifting of the arms embargo on China.  Zoellick expressed his appreciation of the shared view with the United States but said it is a decision Europeans need to make.

The Bush administration and Congress have been trying to explain their concerns “and explain some of the risks to this [lifting of the embargo] in terms of security in the Pacific, the human rights issues, how it would affect transatlantic defense cooperation, recognizing that this will be a decision that Europeans have to make,” Zoellick said.  His trip has been "part of a dialogue that we engage in with different institutions in Europe and different member states.”

Following is a transcript of the joint press briefing:

(begin transcript)

U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
April 5, 2005

DEPUTY SECRETARY ROBERT B. ZOELLICK
PRESS AVAILABILITY WITH ELMAR BROK, CHAIRMAN
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

European Parliament
Brussels, Belgium
April 5, 2005

Chairman Elmar Brok: Good morning. We have to be quick so therefore I would like to say that we had an interesting debate with Mr. Zoellick, and it was a debate in a very good atmosphere. We did not look very much to the past, but looked for common possibilities that we have to win the most battles in the world in a constructive way together. It doesn't mean anything that was in the past; we have to look in the future.

We have common goals and therefore we discussed questions of the Middle East, where Europe and the United States have to be more active and do more in the future because here we have a brilliant chance for a solution over the broader Middle East context. We discussed the question of Iran, Eastern Europe and many things more, but also the transatlantic relationship where the European Parliament is preparing a report where we look for a possibility that at the end of the day we can find a transatlantic partnership agreement, but at the end of the road to come to such a result.  Mr. Zoellick is the author of the first transatlantic declaration of 1990 in Berlin, if I remember rightly. Perhaps we can come in that route together again and have joint possibilities.

Lastly, I would like to say there was a very broad common understanding that both the European Parliament, which has decided so and will do so next week again, against the lifting of the weapons embargo for China. Mr. Zoellick.

Deputy Secretary Zoellick: Well, I want to thank Chairman Brok and members of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee for taking time to meet with me today. This is my 13th stop on this trip, and the purpose was to complement the trips of President Bush and Secretary Rice by visiting a number of the capitals that they did not have a chance to visit.

And I wanted to try to end the trip by meeting not only the North Atlantic Council of NATO, which I met yesterday, and a couple of the Commissioners, but the European Parliament, because I worked with the Parliament over the years. I know it's an institution of growing importance and I thought it was important for part of our dialogue to present some of the ideas that I had shared on the trip and things I'd learned from different countries, and to get their questions. So just as I sometimes have hearings with our Congress, I thought this gave an opportunity to do it in the European Parliament. I must say the European Parliament is a much more civilized institution because I get to be on the platform above as opposed to being below as at our Congress.

So I want to thank Elmar for hosting this. We did something similar with the Foreign Affairs and Trade Committees when I was first Trade Representative in 2001, and in addition to trying to share some of our views, I benefited from getting some of the interesting perspectives of members of the European Parliament across the political spectrum.

Moderator: We have time for a couple of questions, no more.

Question: First of all, Mr. Zoellick, Parliament has said it is against lifting the arms embargo on China. So are a growing number of people in the European public opinion. How much does that strengthen your arguments, the American argument, that Europe should not raise this embargo?

And my second question to you as well: The European Union has nominated Pascal Lamy as a good chief of the WTO [World Trade Organization]. With your personal experience of dealing with Mr. Lamy, do you think he's a candidate that the United States could back as well, and what do you think the developing world will think about that?

Deputy Secretary Zoellick: Well, first, I want to congratulate you because all across Europe, Reuters reporters followed me and asked me questions about Airbus and Boeing, and I'm really thankful that you didn't ask. As for your first question on the China arms embargo, this is an issue that obviously Europeans need to make. It's not a decision that is for us. There is a healthy debate going on in Europe, and I respect the view of the European Parliament; in fact, I appreciate the shared perspective.

And what the President and the Secretary and I and members of our Congress have been trying to do is explain our perspective and explain some of the risks to this in terms of security in the Pacific, the human rights issues, how it would affect transatlantic defense cooperation, recognizing that this will be a decision that Europeans have to make. I, of course, appreciated Chairman Brok's and the European Parliament's statement, but I recognize this is part of a dialogue that we engage in with different institutions in Europe and different member states.

As for your comment about Commissioner Lamy, I obviously consider Commissioner Lamy both a friend but more importantly a very accomplished trade leader. And so I have said all along, and the United States has said, that we believe that he would be a very strong candidate for that position.

The process for the WTO selection is different than some other processes. What is happening is that the chairman of the general council, who is actually a chairwoman -- she's ambassador from Kenya -- is undertaking consultations with the help of a Canadian official and one other with all of the member states. Now the United States is a big player in the WTO process. Sometimes our support helps; sometimes it doesn't help. In this case we're just one vote of many. But we've made very clear that we'd be very comfortable with Commissioner Lamy and that I think that he could play a strong role. There are other good candidates as well.

Now, I spoke with Commissioner Lamy shortly before I took this trip, and I know he's also planning to visit the United States, which I encouraged him to do. The other candidates have done that, and this would give him an opportunity to talk to members of our Congress, meet some of the officials in the executive branch and others. But I think the WTO would be very well served by his candidacy, but there are some other good candidates as well.

Question: As far as Iraq is concerned, I know that you put a great store by ...

Deputy Secretary Zoellick: Did you say Iraq?

Question: Yes. You put a great store in the fact that the democratization process is going on and maybe having a knock-on effect throughout the rest of the region. Yet the fact remains that is extremely unstable, extremely dangerous there, and the Iraqis themselves see this as taking too long. I mean, one doesn't see an end to this process; it would appear to be going on forever. What is the answer there, and can Europe play a more constructive role as far as you're concerned?

Deputy Secretary Zoellick: Well, it is a dangerous place and there remain many challenges ahead. So I think it is important to point out honestly the many challenges in Iraq. But I also think it's important to point out the significance of eight million people going to the polls, putting their lives at risk.

Now, what I discussed with the European Parliament, and I've has conversations with various officials along the trip, was to share my insights and some of the information I have about that process. And one of the points that I've observed is that the debate among elected Iraqi officials is one that I consider to be a constructive debate. In other words, it's not people talking past each other. And in this sense, is a good sign that Iraqis are engaged with the processes of democracy. You [inaudible] debates in all our countries as well. One aspect of that is that some of the parties have recognized that while this stage was the selection of the Presidency Council and the new government and ministers, that they had some leverage for some of the later stages, in terms of the constitutional process. But I am not sure that this is a bad thing.

In fact there seem to be some signs in that process -- people reaching some basic understanding about some of the questions that will need to be addressed in the constitutional process. At the same time, at least I share the implication of your question, but I think that the people of Iraq want to see the government formed, that is why it was very good that the assembly elected a speaker. I think it is notable that it is a Sunni because I think one of the issues that arose over the past week or so is that, as the Shia encouraged, sought to reach out to the Sunnis, the Sunni community was not as well organized.

So one sees that process moving forward. But again there was the constructive news that some of the Sunni groups were encouraging their individuals to take part in the police, take part in the army. And what all these come back to is the fact that, to defeat an insurgency, one needs more than military means. One has to get political support. And this is, I think, part of the natural process taking place in the formation of this government and then the government turning to the problems of the Iraqi people. And I want to close my answer with that, because this is a topic that I discussed with the Parliament and others, because I think one of the aspects that came out of President Bush's trip is a desire by Europeans and Americans to work together on that next stage of the reconstruction process. The provision of electricity, building a legal system, some of the decentralization of the political authority, helping to create an economic environment for jobs.

Those are all aspects that will also have to be done in concert with the security process. And at least I have received a good sense from our European partners about wanting to work on some of those issues. Some countries, we know, had different views on the military topics, but I think I have a sense that people all recognize the benefit of supporting Iraqi democracy and the reconstruction and growth in that country. And as you alluded to, it is striking to see the effect of elections in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, events in Lebanon, and no one would suggest that this process will follow a straight-line course.

I made a little reference to the fact that when I began in the State Department, (for) first time in 1989, I saw a process of change in Europe. Many people were convinced the status quo would hold; my country wasn't. We moved forward and that is one of the reasons why Germany is unified today, and you have Europe in peace and freedom. I don't mean to suggest that the course will be precisely the same in the Arab world. But I think one would be mistaken not to observe the process of change and to try to work and support the modernizers and reformers.

Question: I have two questions, one for Mr. Brok. Do you think that you have the same position with the U.S. considering the situation in Middle East and Iraq, and the second question for Mr. Zoellick. Do you think that the U.S. Government has the same position considering the nuclear (inaudible) of Iran and North Korea and Israel?

Chairman Brok: I think we have a common interest, and we might have made mistakes in the past, but we have seen now that the path to peace and freedom in the Middle East and Broader Middle East is only possible if the United States and Europe act in a partnership. And what we have learned is that the most value for this partnership is a united Europe. So that we can really do it together and in this way I think we have (inaudible) a very close cooperation And that is what I have learned from President Bush's trip to Europe and in our debate we had today that there is a very broad majority, the will to act together in order to achieve these goals.

Deputy Secretary Zoellick: As for the process with Iran, I think the United States is working very closely with the EU-3 -- France, Britain and Germany. But we recognize there are many other members of Europe, and that is one reason why I discussed some of these topics with the Parliament and discussed them with the other Member States. We think that our cooperation together is important to focus on the key issue, which is preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

But you also talked about the Middle East peace process, and I think we share the view that this is a point of great opportunity, but also considerable uncertainties and difficulties. And so one of the reasons that I came to Europe was to share our view on those and the need to help strengthen Prime Minister Abbas, but also support Prime Minister Sharon in this key period and look towards what President Bush is focused on, which is the negotiation of two democratic states living in peace, side by side. Of course there will difference of views. There are differences of views within Europe, there are difference of views within the United States, but at least what I have seen in my past work, in over the past four years, it is possible to manage differences and focus on the core aspects as Elmar mentioned, of common interest. Sometimes we will be more successful than others, but we are certainly committed to doing our best to try. Thank you.

Chairman Brok: Thank you very much.

(end transcript)

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