*EPF402 10/07/2004
Transcript: No Dollar Goals Set for Iraq Donors' Conference, Powell Says
(Armitage heads for Japan next week for fund-raising effort) (1520)

The United States doesn't have "a specific dollar amount in mind" on the eve of the next Iraq donors' conference, according to Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Speaking to the press October 7, Colin Powell said the Iraq fund-raising meeting in Madrid last year had "a good turnout."

"The problem," the secretary said, "is that the money isn't flowing as quickly as we would like, but we have the same difficulty with our own supplemental," he said.

In the case of the United States, money for Iraq is just now starting to flow at a more rapid pace, Powell said. He added: "It's going to be speeded up even more in the days and weeks ahead, now that Congress has reprogrammed some of the money."

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will be attending this year's Iraq donors' conference, to be held in Japan next week. Armitage's efforts, Powell said, will be to encourage those who have made previous commitments to make good on them, and to encourage additional contributions.

Powell, who had just completed meetings with Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, lauded the presence of the Japanese Self-Defense Force units in Iraq.

"They are off to a good start," he said of Japanese personnel in Iraq, "and they are now working alongside the coalition partners to give the Iraqi people what they deserve: freedom, peace and security, so that they can have free elections at the end of January 2005 and select the leaders that they wish to take them into the future."

Regarding Israel's commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the Middle East crisis, Powell said Israeli Prime Minister Sharon "again yesterday reaffirmed that the state of Israel was committed to the road map and the disengagement plan from Gaza settlements."

Following is the State Department transcript:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
October 7, 2004

Remarks by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
And Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura
After Their Meeting

October 7, 2004
C Street Entrance
Washington, D.C.

(1:50 p.m. EDT)

SECRETARY POWELL: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It's been my great pleasure to host my new Japanese colleague, Foreign Minister Machimura. We had a very good discussion. I reaffirmed to the Minister the simple fact that the United States-Japan alliance and relationship and partnership in Asia is really the bulwark for peace and stability in Asia. I want to engage with him in the months ahead at a strategic level as we deal with issues having to do with transformation, having to do with realignment of our forces in the region. That all has to be part of a strategic context and we look forward to working with him in that regard.

Deputy Secretary Armitage will be going to Japan next week, not only to participate in the Iraqi donors' conference -- and I thanked the Minister for supporting that effort -- but also Mr. Armitage will be discussing these strategic matters with his colleagues and counterparts in Tokyo.

I also thanked the Minister for the presence of the Japanese Self-Defense Force units in Iraq, and they are off to a good start and they are now working alongside coalition partners to give the Iraqi people what they deserve -- freedom, peace and security -- so that they can have free elections at the end of January 2005 and select the leaders that they wish to take them into the future.

And so once again, Mr. Minister, I thank you and your colleagues and Prime Minister Koizumi and the Japanese people for your willingness to participate in this coalition effort.

We also talked about trade matters and the Sergeant Jenkins case and a number of other regional matters.

But, essentially, this was our first meeting and, Mr. Minister, I welcome you. The Minister lived in New York for two years, so we have something else that is very much in common. Mr. Minister, welcome, and I invite you to say a few words. Thank you very much.

FOREIGN MINISTER MACHIMURA: Thank you very much. I really appreciate that Mr. Powell has been quite busy. He was in South America, has just returned last night, but I am very happy to see him and we had a very serious discussion. He was a native New Yorker and I stayed only two years, so part-time New Yorker.

But, anyway, it's a very nice occasion to cover whole range of issues between two countries. Basically, the relation between the two countries is marvelous under the leadership of President Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi. He covers all the issues.

Maybe one point I should add is that the North Korean and six-party discussions. It seems to me that momentum seems to be less weak, but we should strengthen the six-parties talk and we will have the proper answer as for the nuclear development in North Korea.

And I thank Mr. Powell's very kind assistance to solve the -- in order to solve the abduction issue. Mr. Jenkins is now on trial, military trial, but I hope this abduction issue should be resolved as soon as possible by the help of the United States.

And one point I would add is that we discussed the transformation issue. I said that the transformation should be helpful, contribute to, strengthen to build the peaceful Asia and Pacific region. That is most important thing. But, at the same time, we want to lessen the excess burden on specifically Okinawa. That point is very important for us. So that we will continue and we will reach some conclusions in order to have a rational solution between two countries.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY POWELL: Barry.

QUESTION: The Minister isn't from Hunts Point, is he, by any chance? The Minister isn't from Hunts Point, by any chance, is he?

SECRETARY POWELL: No. Scarsdale.

QUESTION: I see. (Laughter.)

The donors' conference goals. Do you have expectations you can tell us about, and how do you feel about -- certainly not Japan -- but some of the laggards who are slow in writing those checks?

SECRETARY POWELL: I don't have a specific dollar amount in mind. We had a good turnout in Madrid last year. The problem is that the money isn't flowing as quickly as we would like, but we had the same difficulty with our own supplemental. In our case, the money is now starting to flow at a more rapid rate and it's going to be speeded up even more in the days and weeks ahead now that Congress has reprogrammed some of the money.

And I'm sure that Deputy Secretary Armitage will encourage those who have given in the past to make good on those commitments and encourage those present at the conference next week to made additional commitments, but I don't have a specific number in mind.

QUESTION: About the transformation issue, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi had clearly stated, for the first time maybe, his intention to relocation of U.S. base in Okinawa abroad, overseas. What would you comment on that?

SECRETARY POWELL: We would certainly take into account anything that Prime Minister Koizumi or my colleague or the Minister of Defense said with respect to their desires and preferences. But we have a process in which to deal with all of these issues and I know that Secretary Rumsfeld will take these comments aboard and he will present our point of view, and through the -- what's called the DPRI [Defense Policy Review Initiative] system and process, we will work out answers to these questions.

QUESTION: Last week, sir, the Foreign Minister from Jordan said he was not optimistic and that the two-state option is all but dead under the circumstances. Yesterday, Dov Weissglas, Mr. Sharon's top advisor, said that the intention was to break down or tear down any prospects for a two-state solution.

Under the circumstances, sir, do you think that the time has come for you, personally, or the State Department to preside over an international conference of some sort to restate definitions of the roadmap, obligations, and perhaps a status report on where we are?

Thank you.

SECRETARY POWELL: The Quartet met in New York during the time of the UN General Assembly debate ten days or so ago and reaffirmed the Quartet's commitment to the roadmap. And even though there are occasional reports of disagreement, Prime Minister Sharon, again yesterday, reaffirmed that the state of Israel was committed to the roadmap and the disengagement plan from Gaza settlements and the additional settlements in the West Bank are part of the Prime Minister's commitment to President Bush in April that all of the actions that would be taken would be taken consistent with the roadmap. And that is the view of the Government of Israel as expressed by the Prime Minister, and he is the one, of course, that we listen to and pay attention to.

Thank you very much.

(end transcript)

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

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