*EPF302 05/29/2002
Transcript: U.S. Grateful for Yemen's Support in War on Terrorism
(Powell hosts Yemen Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qurbi May 29) (830)

Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States appreciates Yemen's support in the war on terrorism and its efforts to promote a settlement of the Middle East conflict.

Powell made those remarks in a press conference with visiting Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qurbi in Washington May 29.

Commenting on reports of a Libyan offer of a settlement with the families of the victims of the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, Powell said the Libyan action appears to be a step in the right direction.

He said the U.S. government is waiting to receive the formal Libyan offer.

With regard to efforts to convene an international conference on peace in the Middle East, Powell said President Bush would hear the reports from Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns and CIA Director George Tenet after their trips to the region in order to be in a better position to see how to move forward with arrangements for the meeting, which is planned sometime during the summer.

Following is a transcript of the Powell-al-Qurbi press conference:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman May 29, 2002

Remarks By Secretary Of State Colin L. Powell And Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qurbi After Their Meeting


SECRETARY POWELL: It's been my pleasure to host Foreign Minister al-Qurbi and we have had a good discussion of our bilateral relationship, which is strong, and I had the opportunity to once again thank the Foreign Minister, and through him to thank President Salih and the people of Yemen for all the help and support they have provided to us in the campaign against terrorism. We have a fine military-to-military level of cooperation taking place right now with US personnel assisting as best they can.

And we also had a discussion of the situation in the Middle East, and I expressed my appreciation to the Foreign Minister for the very helpful role that Yemen has been playing in finding a way forward to bring to life the vision that came out of the Arab summit, as first presented by Crown Prince Abdullah.

So Mr. Minister, thank you for all the fine work that you have been doing to improve bilateral relations between our two countries, and I invite you to say a word or two.

FOREIGN MINISTER AL-QURBI: I would like to thank you very much for a most productive exchange of views on our bilateral relationship with the United States of America and Yemen. I would like also to reiterate here that in our discussions Yemen has committed itself to continue its cooperation with the United States of America in its anti-terrorism campaign; that Yemen will become a major player, I hope, in the peace process in the Middle East, which we feel that it opens the venues now for a brighter future in the region. And finally, I would like to stress that Yemen development relies also on the support of the United States of America.

Thank you.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, are there implications for US foreign policy in the offered or the proffered settlement with the families of the Pan Am 103?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, we are waiting to see what the actual Libyan offer is. It's not yet formally put on the table. And we'll examine it when we see all of its elements.

Just reading press accounts of what has been said about the offer, it certainly is a step in the right direction, but I don't think it resolves the entire issue, resolves all the outstanding issues that have to be dealt with with respect to Libya and Pan Am 103.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, did you discuss any progress in the convening of the peace conference in the Middle East? And I would like also a comment from Mr. Qurbi, in Arabic if possible.

SECRETARY POWELL: We did talk about the work that we are doing, and we took note of the fact that Ambassador Burns left last night for consultations in the region. And as the Minister knows, Director Tenet will also be heading over at the end of the week. When Ambassador Burns and Director Tenet have finished their work and come back and presented their reports to the President, we will then be in a better position to see how we go forward toward the meeting that we are still planning to hold sometime in the course of the summer.

FOREIGN MINISTER AL-QURBI: I think the ministerial committee established by the Arab summit in Beirut has already contacted His Excellency regarding the future of the international conference on the peace process, and this is an issue that is being discussed and hopefully will be finalized in the near future.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.

(end transcript)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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