*EPF203 03/09/2004
U.S. Looks Forward to Working with New Greek Government
(White House Report, March 9: Greece, North Korea, Russia, 9/11 commission) (460)

McClellan said President Bush would have a statement shortly congratulating Greece's Prime Minister-Elect Costas Karamanlis and his New Democracy Party on their victory in Greece's parliamentary elections March 7.

"The United States enjoys a partnership with Greece, the birthplace of democracy and a partnership in freedom, prosperity, and peace in southeast Europe and the Middle East," said McClellan.

"We look forward to deepening our cooperation with Greece and working with the prime minister-elect's new government on key issues such as: forging a Cyprus settlement by May 1, security for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and regional stability," the press secretary said.

NORTH KOREA URGED TO END NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM

"North Korea needs to commit to ending its nuclear weapons program in a verifiable and irreversible way," McClellan said.

"We are making progress in our multilateral talks. There are five nations that desire a nuclear free Korean peninsula, and the complete irreversible and verifiable end to North Korea's nuclear program," he said.

However, the White House spokesman noted, North Korea has slowed the progress. "We have already talked about how we are prepared to provide security assurances to North Korea, but they first must act" to end their nuclear program, he said.

EVENTS IN RUSSIA BEING CLOSELY OBSERVED

When questioned by a reporter on White House reaction to the recent turnover of government officials in Russia, McClellan responded, "We continue to look closely at events as they unfold in Russia, and we want to make sure Russia deepens its commitment to the rule of law and democracy."

WHITE HOUSE SAYS BUSH COOPERATING WITH 9/11 COMMISSION

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told questioning reporters March 9 that President Bush "has offered unprecedented cooperation" to the bi-partisan national commission investigating the September 11 terrorist attacks.

"We have provided the commission access to every bit of information they have requested, including our most sensitive national security documents," the press secretary said.

"It is extraordinary for a sitting president of the United States to sit down with a legislative body, like the 9-11 commission, but the president is pleased to do it," he said. "We believe we set aside a reasonable amount of time and the president intends to answer their questions."

The White House spokesman also noted that the president "has taken action to make sure that something like September 11 will never happen again."

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission) is an independent, bi-partisan commission created by Congress to investigate the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

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

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