Οι απαντήσεις της Χίλαρι Κλίντον στην επιτροπή διεθνών σχέσεων της βουλής για την Κύπρο

And welcome, Madame Secretary. Can you generally state the
administration’s policy towards Greece? Could you expound on the
issues related to Greece’s acceptance into the visa waiver program,
and Greece’s relationship with FYROM? And then I have one more
question after that.

SEC. CLINTON: Thank you very much. Well, you know, Greece is a
close ally, a partner within NATO, a country with whom we cooperate on
a range of important regional issues. I have met several times with
the foreign minister and also with the prime minister, along with
President Obama, during the European Union-U.S. Council in Prague.
We’ve discussed the visa waiver issue. We are working with Greece.
There are certain requirements that they are working to fulfill, that
we hope we can be able to bring to resolution.

REP. BILIRAKIS: How about the — on a mutually-acceptable
resolution on the name issue with FYROM?

SEC. CLINTON: We very strongly support efforts for a mutually
accepted name. And we understand Greece’s sensitivities. I have
discussed this with our NATO partners, also in my meetings at the EU.
And we have urged all the parties to come to a resolution that is
acceptable.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Thank you. I have one more question with regard to Cyprus. As you know, the Annan plan failed because it contained provisions that prohibited Greek Cypriots from purchasing property in one-third of their own country and constitutionally established Turkish troops permanently on Cyprus.
It is my belief that this was bad policy to try to impose an Annan-type plan that would be unacceptable to Western democracies on the Cypriot people. Can you state with any degree of certainty that this administration will not be advocating similar settlement provisions in any future settlement agreements with — for the reunification of Cyprus?
SEC. CLINTON: Well, I think your description is accurate that, as you know so well, the plan was rejected because it was unacceptable to the Greek Cypriots.

We have taken the position that this must be a settlement that the two parties agree to themselves. We don’t intend to impose anything. We intend to support, insofar as we are able, the negotiations between the parties for what we believe is the best outcome: a bizonal, bicommunal federation that would represent fairly the interests of both communities

REP. BILIRAKIS: Thank you, Madame Secretary. Appreciate it.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Just briefly to the issue of Cyprus, one avenue it would seem to
me possible to follow is to — for instance, to — USAID has worked
with Cyprus to develop a power grid which is not integrated from the
north into the south. Is that an area that perhaps we could — as we
give aid in that area, to force integration, if you will, first in the
power grid and then hopefully in the bizonal agreement?

SEC. CLINTON: I think that’s an excellent suggestion. And we
will certainly, you know, share that with, you know, the Cypriot
community on both sides.

You know, let me say that Cyprus is so strategically located. If
this problem can be resolved in a way that is satisfactory to both
communities and, as you say, bizonal, bicommunal agreement, I think
that the future for Cyprus is unlimited economically and as a player
in Europe and the Middle East. It’s in everyone’s interest. It’s
also very much on the minds of many of those who are involved in the
negotiations.

So we will take a look at this power grid idea and get back to
you.

REP. MCMAHON: Thank you very much.

And just in the area of foreign aid — we know what an important
issue it is. So many folks on this committee are fighting to keep it
in the budget, the higher amount that you had requested — just to let
you know that we are working with you and any way we can help you, to
please let us know.

Thank you again.

SEC. CLINTON: Thank you, Congressman.

REPRESENTATIVE RUSS CARNAHAN (D-MO): I want to add my
congratulations to your new position and just congratulate you on your

service. I had an opportunity to be at your swearing in at the Harry

S. Truman building, appropriately named for the man from Missouri who

was a strong internationalist, believed in engagement and had a great

appreciation for history. And I know that you will follow that great

tradition.

And finally, we also stopped in Cyprus on the way back.

Congressman McMahon mentioned the power grid, potential to cooperate.

We also saw a unique operation — the U.N. Committee on Missing

Persons had unique cooperation between Greek and Turkish Cypriots on

one of the most sensitive issues on the island. And I think that’s

also a great model in terms of going forward with reconciliation.

SEC. CLINTON: Thank you so much, Congressman Carnahan. And I

love your quote. I wrote it down. Nothing soft about smart power.

That’s exactly our belief.

And thank you for mentioning Bosnia. The western Balkans are a

matter of great concern to us. I’ve spent a lot of time both with our

colleagues at NATO and at the EU talking about what we can and should

do with respect to Bosnia and other countries in the Balkans. I

applaud you and Congressman Smith for creating a caucus on Bosnia, and

I would love to have an opportunity to get any ideas you have.

And finally, on Cyprus, you know, there’s a lot of opportunities

for cooperation. This is another one that I wasn’t familiar with, and

I will look into it as well. But I just appreciate your emphasis on

the kind of model of internationalism that is smart, is very clear

eyed but engaged.

Let’s look for opportunities.

Let’s figure out how we influence behavior. We lost a lot of a
ground, as a country, the last eight years. We really ceded moral
authority, in a way that I think has undermined our security.

REP. BERMAN: The time of the gentleman has expired.

The gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Connolly, is recognized for five
minutes.

REPRESENTATIVE GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I applaud what you and President Obama are doing. You are a
breath of fresh air. And I thank you for your leadership. Madame
Secretary, let me ask. You recently visited Turkey.

There are some who would say that it is very much in our
interests that Turkey become a member of the EU. It stabilizes
critical corner of the world. And it really rewards a secular,
Islamic form of government that is a model so desperately needed in
other parts of the world.

It’s a critical NATO ally. It’s been a military ally of the
United States on many, many occasions. What is the position of the
United States government, with respect to the issue of the accession
of Turkey to EU membership?

SEC. CLINTON: Well, Congressman Connolly, when President Obama
was recently in Turkey, he spoke to the Turkish parliament. And he
reiterated the United States government’s support for Turkey’s
accession to the European Union.

When I was in Brussels, meeting with the European Union and the
European Commission, I also underscored our support for Turkey’s
membership in the EU. We believe that it is, exactly as you
described, in the best long-term strategic interests of Europe, of the
region and of the United States. So we strongly support it.

REP. CONNOLLY: Thank you, Madame Secretary.

Madame Secretary, Mr. Engel and I were just talking to each other
and saying that we think you’re an extraordinary secretary of State.

And I am absolutely confident that you are destined to be one of our
nation’s finest, finest diplomats. I don’t think there’s any question
about that.

If I could raise three issues, if I may, Madame Secretary, one,
an issue that is of great personal importance to me, and I know you’re
very familiar with it: Robert Levinson, former FBI agent, who is
being held in Iran. My understanding is, is that Ambassador Holbrooke
gave a letter to Iranian officials recently. I was hoping that you
might provide an update.

Two, with respect to Turkey and Armenia, both you and the
president have visited.

And I was hoping that you might comment on the potential for an
extraordinary breakthrough in terms of the normalization of relations,
the possible opening of borders and the possible bridging some
extraordinarily difficult issues between the Turkish and the Armenian
people.

And if you could quickly comment, as well, in terms of Azerbaijan
— the potential, possibly, with respect to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, what is happening.

Third, if I may quickly mention Indonesia: I think there was an
Economist magazine recently that on one of the headlines said
“Indonesia: A Model for Muslims.” Mr. Burton and I, not too long
ago, started a Indonesia caucus because of the extraordinary potential
for American-Indonesian relations, the fact that President Yudhoyono
is a democrat in the finest of historical ways. He has turned around
his country in remarkable — in a remarkable feat, given the
humanitarian crises that Indonesia has endured. And I was hoping that
you might tell us in terms of what prospects there are with American-
Indonesian relations in terms of yet another very positive election in
Indonesia.

Thank you, Madame Secretary.

SEC. CLINTON: Well, Mr. Wexler, those are really important
points, and I’ll quickly try to answer them.

First, as to Robert Levinson, yes, we did continue our efforts to
try to obtain information about Mr. Levinson. His family, as you
know, has suffered deeply, because there is absolutely nothing coming
out of the Iranian government. He was mentioned in the letter that we
passed on to the Iranian government in The Hague and we are going to
continue to press this at every turn.

And, as well, Roxana Saberi, who is being held in an arbitrary
and terribly unfair, unprecedented, unjustified way, she should be
able to come home. And we hope that we can achieve that.

With respect to Turkey and Armenia, I’ve been very encouraged by
the bold steps that have recently been taken in this direction by
Turkish and Armenian leaders to reconcile their countries with each
other and with their shared and painful past. I believe that the
steps that Turkey and Armenia are taking toward normalizing relations
and opening their borders will foster a better environment for
confronting that shared, tragic history.

The Turkish and Armenian governments have sought U.S. support and
encouragement of their reconciliation efforts. In following that
request, both the president and I have supported them fully.

We have also assured the government of Azerbaijan that we will
intensify our efforts to resolve the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh
and other outstanding issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia. There is
a Minsk process, as you know, that we are going to be deeply engaged
in; we already are. We’ve sent a State Department official to
Azerbaijan I think two times in the last three weeks. And we hope
that there will be some resolution in the next months.

Finally, let me thank you for mentioning Indonesia. As I
mentioned in my opening remarks, I see Indonesia as a — as an anchor
country, a regional power. When I was there on my first trip as
secretary of State, I said if you want to see a country where
democracy and Islam and secularism and women’s rights coexist
together, that is Indonesia. It’s a young democracy, but President
Yudhoyono and his government have made enormous strides.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

REP. SIRES: I wish it had been a higher title, but —
(chuckles).

I just want to speak a little bit about Cuba. And I think it’s
perfectly normal to put conditions on Cuba. This country has been
doing that to other countries (over/all through?) its history — it
will do that again — to promote democracies and to promote human
rights.

And let me say, as someone who lived there, I experienced, at the
age of 11, how to take apart and put together a Czechoslovakian
machine gun. I experienced the people knocking on my house door
because they thought my father was carrying contraband on the black
market. I remember the military coming to my house and taking
inventory just before I left; and having lived in New Jersey with the
mother of the sons that were killed on the plane as they were rescuing
people leaving the totalitarian government.

So I don’t want to belabor the point, because everybody has
raised the issue of Cuba many, many times. But there’s nothing wrong
with putting conditions.

And may I add that all those people that are in prison today were part
— they were raised, they were born, raised, school in Cuba, those
political prisoners.

They didn’t come from Miami to Havana. They are a product of the
revolution. And there are maybe 300. But there were 5,000 classified
differently that are put in jail because they can’t speak about the
government.

So conditions are perfectly fine. And I hope that the president
will take that into consideration. But I want to raise two other
issues that are important.

I want to talk a little bit about the Colombia free trade
agreement. I want to talk about Cyprus and Turkey’s 43,000 troops in
Cyprus. Can you just comment a little bit about that?

SEC. CLINTON: Yes, I certainly can, Congressman. And thank you
for your eloquent and heartfelt description of why we always have to
be promoting human rights and freedom.

I have met twice with the foreign minister of the Republic of
Cyprus. And I have met once with Mr. Talat, representing the Turkish
Cypriots. The United States strongly supports a bizonal, bicommunal
resolution to the Cyprus talks. And we have told each side that we
support their very diligent efforts, to try to resolve these matters,
including security issues and troop presence.

So we’re going to do everything we can, to support the Cypriots
reaching their own resolution. I think that previous efforts have
unfortunately resulted in a feeling, by certainly the Greek Cypriots,
that things were attempted to be imposed on them. And we want the
parties to reach an agreement. And that’s what we are supporting.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

REP. BILIRAKIS: Thank you. I have a couple of questions, Mr.
Chairman.

And welcome, Madame Secretary. Can you generally state the
administration’s policy towards Greece? Could you expound on the
issues related to Greece’s acceptance into the visa waiver program,
and Greece’s relationship with FYROM? And then I have one more
question after that.

SEC. CLINTON: Thank you very much. Well, you know, Greece is a
close ally, a partner within NATO, a country with whom we cooperate on
a range of important regional issues. I have met several times with
the foreign minister and also with the prime minister, along with
President Obama, during the European Union-U.S. Council in Prague.
We’ve discussed the visa waiver issue. We are working with Greece.
There are certain requirements that they are working to fulfill, that
we hope we can be able to bring to resolution.

REP. BILIRAKIS: How about the — on a mutually-acceptable
resolution on the name issue with FYROM?

SEC. CLINTON: We very strongly support efforts for a mutually
accepted name. And we understand Greece’s sensitivities. I have
discussed this with our NATO partners, also in my meetings at the EU.
And we have urged all the parties to come to a resolution that is
acceptable.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Thank you. I have one more question with regard
to Cyprus. As you know, the Annan plan failed because it contained
provisions that prohibited Greek Cypriots from purchasing property in
one-third of their own country and constitutionally established
Turkish troops permanently on Cyprus.

It is my belief that this was bad policy to try to impose an
Annan-type plan that would be unacceptable to Western democracies on
the Cypriot people. Can you state with any degree of certainty that
this administration will not be advocating similar settlement
provisions in any future settlement agreements with — for the
reunification of Cyprus?

SEC. CLINTON: Well, I think your description is accurate that,
as you know so well, the plan was rejected because it was unacceptable
to the Greek Cypriots.

We have taken the position that this must be a settlement that
the two parties agree to themselves. We don’t intend to impose
anything. We intend to support, insofar as we are able, the
negotiations between the parties for what we believe is the best
outcome: a bizonal, bicommunal federation that would represent fairly
the interests of both communities.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Thank you, Madame Secretary. Appreciate it.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

REP. MCMAHON: Thank you.

Just briefly to the issue of Cyprus, one avenue it would seem to
me possible to follow is to — for instance, to — USAID has worked
with Cyprus to develop a power grid which is not integrated from the
north into the south. Is that an area that perhaps we could — as we
give aid in that area, to force integration, if you will, first in the
power grid and then hopefully in the bizonal agreement?

SEC. CLINTON: I think that’s an excellent suggestion. And we
will certainly, you know, share that with, you know, the Cypriot
community on both sides.

You know, let me say that Cyprus is so strategically located. If
this problem can be resolved in a way that is satisfactory to both
communities and, as you say, bizonal, bicommunal agreement, I think
that the future for Cyprus is unlimited economically and as a player
in Europe and the Middle East. It’s in everyone’s interest. It’s
also very much on the minds of many of those who are involved in the
negotiations.

So we will take a look at this power grid idea and get back to
you.

REP. MCMAHON: Thank you very much.

And just in the area of foreign aid — we know what an important
issue it is. So many folks on this committee are fighting to keep it
in the budget, the higher amount that you had requested — just to let
you know that we are working with you and any way we can help you, to
please let us know.

Thank you again.

SEC. CLINTON: Thank you, Congressman.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

REPRESENTATIVE RUSS CARNAHAN (D-MO): I want to add my
congratulations to your new position and just congratulate you on your
service. I had an opportunity to be at your swearing in at the Harry
S. Truman building, appropriately named for the man from Missouri who
was a strong internationalist, believed in engagement and had a great
appreciation for history. And I know that you will follow that great
tradition.

We’ve seen just in the first few months of the new administration
dramatic and positive changes in the U.S. image around the world. And
there’s a new reservoir of goodwill out there that we can use in that
diplomatic toolkit that you have spoken about so often and so well.

And I had a chance to see that firsthand with our congressional
delegation at the IPU conference in Ethiopia. Congresswoman Watson
mentioned that. But our delegation was not just received openly; they
were actually received with genuine and broad enthusiasm. So it was a
— it was a very big shift from what we’ve seen in past years. And
there’s a great enthusiasm for us to be re-engaged in international
organizations and initiatives from the economic crisis, climate
change, poverty and disease — the list goes on.

Mr. Costa covered a lot of my question about the use of smart
power, but I just want to make an editorial comment.

I would hope that we can eliminate the term “soft power,” because I
think there’s nothing soft about smart power. (And ?) I want to be
sure that we are giving the budget priorities to that new approach in
diplomacy in our country.

The other issues I wanted to cover was the — in Bosnia. I
represent one of the largest populations of Bosnian-Americans in the
country, in the St. Louis area. With Chris Smith, my colleague, we
have formed a Bosnian Caucus in the Congress. It’s a society there
that has a history of multicultural existence and multi-ethnic
existence. They’re in need of constitutional reforms. There hasn’t
been much movement since the days of the Clinton administration, and I
would hope we can put some renewed emphasis there to get Eastern
Europe right. And I’d like to hear your comment about that.

And finally, we also stopped in Cyprus on the way back.
Congressman McMahon mentioned the power grid, potential to cooperate.
We also saw a unique operation — the U.N. Committee on Missing
Persons had unique cooperation between Greek and Turkish Cypriots on
one of the most sensitive issues on the island. And I think that’s
also a great model in terms of going forward with reconciliation.

SEC. CLINTON: Thank you so much, Congressman Carnahan. And I
love your quote. I wrote it down. Nothing soft about smart power.
That’s exactly our belief.

And thank you for mentioning Bosnia. The western Balkans are a
matter of great concern to us. I’ve spent a lot of time both with our
colleagues at NATO and at the EU talking about what we can and should
do with respect to Bosnia and other countries in the Balkans. I
applaud you and Congressman Smith for creating a caucus on Bosnia, and
I would love to have an opportunity to get any ideas you have.

We still have work to do. We have not adequately established a
democratic, functioning government or in any way approached an — a
reintegration of society in Bosnia. So I hope that you will be part
of what we do going forward to try to figure out how we’re going to
address Bosnia and the western Balkans.

And finally, on Cyprus, you know, there’s a lot of opportunities
for cooperation. This is another one that I wasn’t familiar with, and
I will look into it as well. But I just appreciate your emphasis on
the kind of model of internationalism that is smart, is very clear
eyed but engaged.

Let’s look for opportunities.

Let’s figure out how we influence behavior. We lost a lot of a
ground, as a country, the last eight years. We really ceded moral
authority, in a way that I think has undermined our security.

Our financial crisis woes and our dependence on a country like
China to, you know, hold their treasury instruments, I mean — there’s
— this is a very complex world in which we are operating. And we
think that a better approach is to try to build up that reservoir of
good will, because we’re certainly going to have to probably, you
know, see it paid down over time.

REP. BERMAN: The time of the gentleman has expired.

The gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Connolly, is recognized for five
minutes.

REPRESENTATIVE GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

And it’s great to see you again, Madame Secretary. I last saw
you at George Mason University in the fall. And I just also wanted to
say, I honestly believe that President Obama’s election and your
selection, as secretary of State, have done more to restore U.S.
credibility abroad and to give us — open new opportunities for U.S.
diplomacy than anything I can think of in living memory.

Incalculable damage was done to the United States’ interests, in
the last eight years, with a unilateral cowboy diplomacy, with a
bullying technique, neither of which frankly are worthy of a great
power.

And the idea that some might criticize the president for shaking
a hand, when every single president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt
had no compunction, in shaking the hands of people who might be
unsavory characters but with whom we wanted to be engaged, is truly
clutching at straws, to try to find something apparently to be
critical of and perhaps to distract our attention from the damage done
the last eight years.

I applaud what you and President Obama are doing. You are a
breath of fresh air. And I thank you for your leadership. Madame
Secretary, let me ask. You recently visited Turkey.

There are some who would say that it is very much in our
interests that Turkey become a member of the EU. It stabilizes that

critical corner of the world. And it really rewards a secular,
Islamic form of government that is a model so desperately needed in
other parts of the world.

It’s a critical NATO ally. It’s been a military ally of the
United States on many, many occasions. What is the position of the
United States government, with respect to the issue of the accession
of Turkey to EU membership?

SEC. CLINTON: Well, Congressman Connolly, when President Obama
was recently in Turkey, he spoke to the Turkish parliament. And he
reiterated the United States government’s support for Turkey’s
accession to the European Union.

When I was in Brussels, meeting with the European Union and the
European Commission, I also underscored our support for Turkey’s
membership in the EU. We believe that it is, exactly as you
described, in the best long-term strategic interests of Europe, of the
region and of the United States. So we strongly support it.

REP. CONNOLLY: Thank you, Madame Secretary.