MR. ERELI: Let me begin by drawing your attention to a statement and fact sheet we released earlier today on U.S. assistance to American citizens in Mexico affected by Hurricane Wilma. I'd like to make a couple of points on the statement and fact sheet.

The first point is to assure everybody that we in the Department of State realize that Americans have been through a very -- American tourists in Mexico have been through a very difficult past couple of days, having suffered through a monster hurricane that has greatly disrupted their lives and really their loved ones. Our priority at the Department of State is to provide them assistance and to get them home quickly and safety. We have already helped 1,900 American citizens to get out of the affected area and into Merida. We have in the past two days helped 1,200 Americans get home and we have answered, between the Embassy and the State Department, over 14,000 inquiries in the last five days.

I want to assure everybody that our State Department officials in the Embassy in Mexico and here at the State Department will continue working 24-7 to help Americans get back home, to answer the questions of their loved ones and will continue doing this as long as it is necessary. Just a couple of important points, I think to draw your attention to in looking at our response to the hurricane.

On October 20th, the State Department issued a public announcement asking Americans in the Yucatan to consider departing until the storm had passed while commercial flights were still available. On Friday, October 20th, we sent an additional two people to Merida to augment our consular staff there. We set up a crisis response center of eight consular personnel in Cancun on Sunday, October 23rd. By October 24th, yesterday, we had 23 officials in Cancun and an additional 23 consular officials in Merida to help meet Americans who had made it out of Cancun.

Today, we -- as of today, we have transported approximately 1,900 Americans by bus from shelters in Cancun to Merida. As I said earlier, in the last two days we've gotten 1,200 people out. There are presently about 1,300 Americans in Merida that are in shelters and we are near the airport and we're working to get them back home.

Our consular officials in Cancun are busy and have been busy since the first ones arrived, actually late Saturday, continuing into Sunday and completing their arrival on Monday. Since the beginning, they have been working with Mexican authorities to ensure that aid is provided to the shelters -- aid, security, medical attention is provided to the shelters where Americans are. I would note the information that I had is there are about 180 shelters we're talking about. So our priority has been to make sure that the Mexican -- work with the Mexican authorities to make sure that Americans in those shelters are given the supplies they need, given the security they need, given the medical attention they need.

And then we've been going out to the shelters, as the number of our personnel permit, to touch base with the Americans, to ensure they have what they need and try to get them whatever information or assistance they might need and then work with the travel industry to lay on additional flights to get them back home.

On the subject of airports. The airport in Merida is open. I would note that road conditions are still poor, which limits the traffic that the system can bear from the affected area into Merida. The flights are going out of Merida. In Cancun -- it should be open today for limited daylight operations and there is news that a mainland ferry successfully reached the island of Cozumel during the late evening yesterday, the 24th.

I would remind American citizens that there is a toll free number that they can call for the latest information on assistance to Americans in the affected areas. That number is 188-407-4747. There's an overseas number, if you're calling from overseas and don't have access to a toll free number, the number to call is 202-501-4444.

QUESTION: Mexico was very helpful with respect to American victims of Katrina. Was there any discussion of American help for Mexican victims of Wilma?

MR. ERELI: Absolutely. We've provided $100,000 in OFDA assistance already. Among American -- among the American personnel in the affected area is an Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance assessment team to look at the damage that's done and make an assessment of additional support that may be necessary. And that's an issue that we have under consideration now, but I don't have any new aid figures to announce for you.

QUESTION: Why do you think so many people seemingly ignored your advice to get out of the region? How much can you do when they just stay there?

MR. ERELI: Well, you know, Americans are an independent people and we value freedom to travel and freedom to do what you want, where you want to do it, within the limits of the law. And the fact is that, you know, we do our best to alert Americans to the conditions and it's up to them to decide how they want to respond. The fact that there are a lot of Americans caught in the affected area is a fact of life that we as a government -- and we as a government are obliged to help them and do everything we can to provide the support they need to get back home and to avail themselves of their rights and privileges as American citizens.

QUESTION: But there have been times when you've said, you know, we are not going to be able to help after a certain point that --

MR. ERELI: We've never said that in this case.

QUESTION: No, not in this case, but in other cases.

MR. ERELI: Not that I can remember.

QUESTION: There will only be flights -- you know, you get on commercial flights because we won't be able to get you out.

MR. ERELI: Right, right. And in this case, I would say and underscore one thing that we are doing, we are working very energetically and it's a really top priority for us, both here in the State Department and in Mexico to work with the travel industry to help provide Americans the means to get out of Mexico and to get back home. I will note that this is a decision in terms of deploying flights and scheduling flights that rests in the hands of the private sector. It's not a government capability.

QUESTION: Despite what you just told us now, I just got off the phone with our personnel in Cancun, the NBC reporter and producer, who have been traveling around the last couple days visiting American shelter sites and saying they have not at this point seen one U.S. representative with the people. They've been in hallways five or six days, they have no medicine. Some of the comments are that you, you know, had Red Cross personnel try to find the worst of people.

They say that they've seen the British, the Canadian and some Spain officials already in the hotels going around speaking with their citizens, and yet they have not, despite two days of looking for someone, been able to find one representative coming to the American tourists who are trapped in some of these hotels and shelters. What is your response?

MR. ERELI: I would say the following. The hurricane started on Saturday. It was over the area for two days and passed -- I think the final wall of the hurricane passed on Sunday. Within 36 hours we had 23 people on the ground in Cancun and we had another 23 additional people in Merida.

I would note that there are estimated between 10- and 15,000 Americans in the area, so obviously by -- we're talking about by Monday till now, which is less than 24 hours, I think it's impossible for all those 23 -- for those 23 people in Cancun to see all 10- to 15,000 people in the area. That's point one.

Point two, I would note that there's some pretty heroic stuff that's been going on; for example, our principal officer in Merida drove through the eye wall, the eye wall of the hurricane, on Saturday to get to Cancun as soon as possible. So there was one American that took pretty extreme measures and took her consular duties very seriously.

Number three, as I mentioned, there are about 180 shelters. We're focusing our attention on where there's the biggest concentrations of Americans, number one -- sorry, where there's the biggest concentration of Americans, but also on where our understanding is that the circumstances are the most dire.

So in the area there are about 180 shelters, is my understanding. We're focusing our attention first on those shelters where there were reports of difficult circumstances, either water running out or signs of criminality or other kinds of unsanitary conditions that needed to be addressed.

And I would note that we have succeeded, in response to information we've received and Americans we've talked to and shelters we've visited, we have received -- we have been able to, in working with the Red Cross and in working with the Mexican authorities, to, for example, get water to shelters that had run out of water, to get an ambulance to help an American who was in distress, to the call the Mexican authorities' attentions to security issues in particularly dangerous areas that had been responded to.

Now, have those 23 people, since Sunday, since the hurricane passed on Sunday afternoon, been able to see every American, been able to talk to every American that they want to talk to, no. Have they worked with the Mexican Government to ensure that the large American population in shelters are getting what they need, yes. Have they worked with the Mexican transportation companies to get buses into Cancun and back to Merida, yes, they have. Have they been working with the flights -- again, the travel industry to augment the flights, sure, because the first one started on Sunday. The first group of people who were able to get out was on Sunday.

So I'd simply say to those Americans who have not seen a consular officer, we're out there. We're going to -- don't worry, we're going to get to you and we're doing a lot that you may not see. And I urge you to call this number. We're making the rounds. As I said before, we're going to work 24-7 to make sure that the people who need us, that we tend to them.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Adam, can you bring us up to date on how does this work? Who pays for all this extra work? Is this something the government absorbs? Is this something that -- do you charge American citizens for?

MR. ERELI: No.

QUESTION: What happens if they don't have documentation?

MR. ERELI: Well, there are procedures for all of this. But basically, the extra manpower is -- that's the State Department's job. That's I will tell -- you know, our officers in Merida have been working for the last 48 hours without any rest. That's because they're public servants. As far as loans and services provided to Americans, there are a number of procedures for that. For example, if you've lost your money, you can get a repatriation loan, which is provided through consular officials with provisions for payback. You know, if you don't have your passport, it's been stolen, there are provisions for issuing emergency passports and handling it that way. But you know, there are fees for services or loan arrangements that are part of our regular operations that we provide for Americans in distress and that certainly applies here. But as far as the extra manpower, that's our job and we do it with dedication.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Based on what you just talked about, do you think 23 people is enough? Do you think you need to now look at sending more people there, based on the amount of numbers you say ten to thirteen. There are reports its up to as high as 20,000 people. So do you think --

MR. ERELI: I've seen those reports. I think it's an issue we continue to look at. If, I think, based on our assessment there is -- we come to the conclusion that we're not meeting the need, we're prepared to do what it takes.

Okay.

QUESTION: Moving on.

MR. ERELI: Moving on. George.

QUESTION: There are ramblings of a resolution in New York on Syria. Do you have anything to contribute?

MR. ERELI: In the Security Council today the members heard Judge Mehlis present his report. I'd simply underscore what we've said previously, that it's a very disturbing report. It points to Syrian involvement, the assassination of Rafik Hariri, as well as Syria's non-cooperation in the investigation of Mehlis, contrary to 1595. The President has made clear that Syria needs to take the report seriously and cooperate fully with Judge Mehlis's continuing investigation. I think our objective at the Security Council is to make clear to Syria that demands of the international community are clear and unmistakable, that they need to cooperate with the Mehlis investigation and not to intimate the Lebanese people or to interfere in the affairs of Lebanon. And we will be working with our Security Council partners, I think, on a resolution to that effect.

Yes.

QUESTION: Do you expect anything more than a mere appeal to Syria to cooperate because they --

MR. ERELI: I don't think -- I wouldn't qualify that as a "mere" appeal to Syria to cooperate. I would qualify that -- I would characterize our approach with the French and with the other members of the Security Council to put forward a serious and tough resolution that makes it clear to Syria what it needs to do.

QUESTION: Why would Syria not already know what it needs to do? What good is a resolution -- they know that they're -- the resolution authorizing this investigation should comply them to cooperate?

MR. ERELI: Well, I guess -- I guess that's a question to ask the Syrian Government. You're right, 1595 is pretty clear. What's also clear is that, according to the Mehlis report, they haven't cooperated as they should. So this is conclusion that the Security Council is discussing in deciding what's the most appropriate action to take.

QUESTION: So why not move forward from simply reminding them of that? Why not take further action?

MR. ERELI: We'll see what -- as I said, I would expect a tough resolution, moving forward based on the report of Mehlis.

Yes.

QUESTION: Adam, shortly before you came here into the briefing room, over the hourly news, it was reported that a bullet or bullets were flying from Syria into Lebanon and evidently -- I don't know if that's just an isolated incident aimed at some contractors. What would the UN do with respect to this? And is this, in your estimation, a --

MR. ERELI: It's hard to speak to the question. I don't know -- I'm not familiar with the facts of the incident, what happened -- I think, we've been making very clear, the Secretary has made it very clear, I think, in her remarks yesterday as well as today that Syria should be under no illusion about where the international community stands. They've got to cooperate with Mehlis and they've got to refrain from interfering in Lebanon and intimidating the Lebanese people. And that's the way we would view any such incident.

QUESTION: Or what?

MR. ERELI: I think -- let's leave it where it is.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Change of subject?

MR. ERELI: Yes.

QUESTION: Turkish republic of northern Cyprus, the President, Mr. Talat is coming to Washington and he will meet Secretary Rice on Friday. What is the agenda? Do you have anything about that?

MR. ERELI: We have periodically met with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Talat. This is an opportunity to hear from him the views of that community and discuss our mutual interest and mutual goal of achieving a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus issue based on the Annan plan.

QUESTION: May I follow up?

MR. ERELI: Yes, you may.

QUESTION: How do you clarify it was your policy that this meeting does not change the status quo of the republic of Cyprus since there's a lot of reports that you are moving to the direction that somehow is moving to have two separate states in the island?

MR. ERELI: I would dispute those suggestions. Our policy hasn't changed. We support a settlement based on the Annan plan and call on the leaders of both communities to engage in serious and sincere discussions toward that end.

QUESTION: And also, the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Africa, like the continent of Africa, reported in an editorial yesterday due to his arrival in the town that, "The U.S. selected Mehmet Ali Talat not to conclude settlement but to maintain the non-solution." How do you respond to this charge?

MR. ERELI: Well, that's baseless. As I just said, our goal, our policy, is to promote a solution. I think our actions are very eloquent testimony to that and our consultations or our meetings with Mr. Talat are fully consistent with those goals and fully consistent with past practice.

QUESTION: Now may we move to the Balkans?

MR. ERELI: Okay.

QUESTION: On the Balkans. May we have a readout of yesterday's meeting here at the State Department between Secretary Condoleezza Rice and the Prime Minister of FYROM Vlado Buckovsky of Bulgarian origin?

MR. ERELI: Secretary Rice and Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovsky had a good meeting yesterday. They talked about a number of issues, including noting with satisfaction the ten-year anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the United States and Macedonia. They welcomed the strength of U.S.-Macedonian ties and agreed to continue deepening those ties in the future. They discussed the progress Macedonia has made in implementing the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement and on the reform steps that Macedonia has taken and is taking on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration, and the Secretary underscored America's strong support for Macedonia's NATO and EU aspirations.

They also discussed U.S.-Macedonian cooperation in the global war on terror. We thanked the Prime Minister for Macedonia's valuable contributions to coalition operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and both pledged to continue working together to advance peace, stability and development in the Balkans.

QUESTION: Did you discuss the difference between Greece and FYROM on the name issue and to which extent?

MR. ERELI: No, the issue was not discussed.

QUESTION: Did you discuss the provocative proposal of Matthew Nimetz that Greece should --

MR. ERELI: Who?

QUESTION: The provocative proposal of Matthew Nimetz that Greece should not change the name of northern part of the country and FYROM should (inaudible) the so-called "Macedonia," something which is rejected by Athens but accepted by Skopje as the new base of the negotiations?

MR. ERELI: They didn't discuss that.

QUESTION: And also, Mr. Ereli, could you please clarify for us that despite the objections by Greece that the U.S. support the idea that FYROM is entitled to become a member of NATO and EU, even with the so-called name "Republic of Macedonia"?

MR. ERELI: The name issue is something to be resolved in negotiations between the parties under the auspices of the UN.

QUESTION: But this is -- but the question is do you support the idea that FYROM is entitled to become a member of NATO as it is today, without a changed name?

MR. ERELI: The issue as far as integration in NATO and the EU is a function of what Macedonia does in terms of meeting the conditions for membership.

QUESTION: And the last one, did they discuss the Kosovo issue?

MR. ERELI: Yeah. They did discuss the Kosovo issue and how we both want to move forward in resolving that, again, under the auspices of the UN-led negotiating process.

Yes.

QUESTION: I have a couple -- go back on Syria. Did you yet get the confirmation from allies that there will be a meeting on Monday?

MR. ERELI: I don't have anything to confirm for you.

QUESTION: Do you still believe they will have a -- there'll be a ministerial on Monday?

MR. ERELI: Still our goal, still working towards it.

QUESTION: Well, yesterday, Sean seemed a little more certain than that.

MR. ERELI: I don't --

QUESTION: Well, he gave us a date and he said the (inaudible) ministerial.

MR. ERELI: We are working to set up a ministerial on May 31st and that continues to be --

QUESTION: October 31

MR. ERELI: -- I'm sorry -- October 31st.

QUESTION: We may make it by May 31st.

MR. ERELI: And that continues to be our goal.

QUESTION: What's the hold-up?

MR. ERELI: You've got a number of Security Council members that all have to be in sync, so that's not something that's done automatically.

QUESTION: But do they not want to hold -- I mean, do people not want to hold a ministerial --

MR. ERELI: I'd say, they're working it.

QUESTION: Okay. All right.

MR. ERELI: Follow-up? Anything else?

QUESTION: On this issue?

MR. ERELI: On this issue.

QUESTION: The Syrian President today -- has said today that Syria has completely cooperated with Mehlis and this committee.

MR. ERELI: That's not the conclusion of Judge Mehlis. I think -- and that's obviously something the -- if you look at his report, it's fairly specific about the areas in which Syria did not cooperate. So again, I think that the Security Council is taking stock of the Mehlis report, that's what they're doing today. There is a firm and I think growing international consensus that, once again, Syria has demonstrated by its policies and its actions that it's out of step with the international community and in this instance specifically by its failure to correctly read the tea leaves and fully cooperate with Mehlis. And that is why you have a Security Council that's meeting to come to some conclusion about what to do about that failure to cooperate. So it's a little late now for Syria to try to be making up for past failures.

Yes.

QUESTION:   Change of subject. Do you have anything on reports belated by a month that at least three American contractors were killed in Iraq in a convoy attack?

MR. ERELI:   I don't. Let me --

QUESTION: They sent these reports over the weekend.

MR. ERELI: Let me check and see if we've got any details or information I can share with you on that.

QUESTION: Okay. There's just some clarification of details on the number of American citizens and how they died.

MR. ERELI: If I've got something, I'll share it.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. ERELI: Sure.

Let's go to Sylvie.

QUESTION: Mr. Ereli, do you have any readout of the meeting of Secretary Rice with the Foreign Minister of Georgia yesterday?

MR. ERELI: Yeah, sure. Secretary Rice met with Georgia's Prime Minister Nogaideli yesterday. They had a good discussion, good meeting. They talked extensively about reform in Georgia and Georgia's ambitious reform agenda in judiciary and education and trade in order to make Georgia a strong partner for foreign investment and they talked about -- extensively about the South Ossetian conflict and how to resolve that in a peaceful way.

QUESTION: Did they invoke a new initiative for South Ossetia?

MR. ERELI: No. I wouldn't say that. I think they reviewed the situation and talked about ways that we can work together to help all parties achieve a settlement.

Yeah.

QUESTION: On Greece. Mr. Ereli, the Mayor of Athens, Dora Bakoyannis, who already met with the Mayor Anthony Williams, is going to meet tomorrow here in the State Department with Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns. I'm wondering who instigated the meeting, the purpose and the topics of their discussions.

MR. ERELI: I'll see if I can get you something on that -- tomorrow. Maybe.

QUESTION: Mayor Bakoyannis stated earlier today in the Wilson Center that, "It is, I believe, no accident that President Bush has called Greece, 'America's strategic partner'" in the region. How does this apply to the U.S. foreign policy, vis-à-vis to the upcoming crisis in the Western Balkans starting soon from Kosovo?

MR. ERELI: There's no crisis in the Western Balkans.

QUESTION: You're trying to find a solution to the Kosovo issue also --

MR. ERELI: Why's that -- why does one follow from the other?

QUESTION: Why? Just like to clarify for us. Bush said -- as Mayor Bakoyannis stated, America's -- Greece is America's strategic partner. But right now, you are fighting to find a solution to the Kosovo issues -- to be independent or not independent or --

MR. ERELI: (Inaudible.) You are right. We work with Greece as a strategic partner, two very consistent goals.

QUESTION: But how -- how this applies to this policy?

MR. ERELI: Well, I would refer you to a presidential statement issued by the Security Council yesterday --

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. ERELI: -- which endorsed the report of UN Envoy Kai Eide, including his recommendation that a political process be launched to determine Kosovo's final status. It is the position of the United States that that process needs to be supported, we expect the Secretary General to name a Special Envoy for Kosovo Status and we, for our part, will also nominate a senior U.S. envoy to the status process and that envoy will work with the UN, with the parties in Kosovo and with Kosovo's neighbors and other concerned parties to determine global clarity about the future of Kosovo, consistent with the aspirations and desires and rights of the people of Kosovo.

QUESTION: Since you mentioned neighbors, how do you envision the role of Greece to this affect it?

MR. ERELI: I can't be more specific than that.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Can you give an update -- apparently, the Iraqi Electoral Commission has now endorsed the election it's concluded for the constitution. And some of the Sunnis are unhappy. They say there's huge vote rigging and ABC's Martha Raddatz that had been in Iraq pointed out there was -- she's seen first hand some of the rigging, with stuffing of ballots -- but it wasn't apparently widespread. Now, there will be elections in December -- what has to be done between now and then?

MR. ERELI: Well, first of all, let's give credit where credit is due and that's to the Iraqi people for turning out in massive numbers, higher than the elections in January, to vote in a referendum on their constitution. They braved threats of violence; they overcame sectarian divisions to participate as a nation, as a country, in a democratic process. That is a courageous step that is really of our admiration, our praise and our congratulations.

Second of all, let's give credit to the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, which managed a dauntingly complex process in organizing and conducting this referendum, which took extra time to look carefully at all allegations and suspicions of fraud and announced today that the final results with the notation that there were no serious incidences of fraud or reasons to discount the final results.

Now the Iraqi people will move on to the stage of the political process, which is preparing for the election of a permanent parliament in December. We and the United Nations and the international community will continue our support for the Iraqi people as they take this next step on the path towards a democratic future and we will stand by them and support them as we have until now.

Yeah.

QUESTION: About Asia. Wasn't there an assessment team in Pakistan going out with the humanitarian teams?

MR. ERELI: Yeah, they're still -- and they're still there.

QUESTION: I mean, because I'm talking about the 50 million aid donation. Has there been an assessment made that additional funding should be sent over there?

MR. ERELI: I'm not aware that a final determination has been made about what the needs are beyond the 50 million. I think the 50 million was obviously our initial response and based on what the OFDA team reports, we'll be looking at possible additional assistance. But I don't think any decision has been made on that score.

QUESTION: Is there a timeline when we can anticipate some sort of --

MR. ERELI: When the job is done but I don't know when that's going to be.

QUESTION: Has there been talk of additional resources and additional American resources participating in --

MR. ERELI: Well, certainly, the U.S. Government will continue providing its support. As you know, there is a large-scale military operation being conducted with U.S. military personnel and U.S. airlift providing equipment and relief supplies to the affected region and there continue to be relief supplies sent through the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and there is an energetic effort of to put in place a public-private sector partnership to get assistance from the private sector to help the people of Pakistan.

I would also note that there is a donor's conference tomorrow in Geneva where we will be represented by our Administrator for USAID, Mr. Natsios, as well as our Assistant Secretary for International Organizations, Kate* Silverberg and the United States will be leading the international community in national support for Pakistan at that conference, so significant ongoing assistance. Marshalling additional international assistance in Geneva and working with the private sector to engage private Americans in support of Pakistan. Those are the three major axes of our involvement. They are significant and they are ongoing.

QUESTION: They won't expect a new budget at this conference from the U.S.? That's not what it's for?

MR. ERELI: I will have to check and see. We'll, let's wait till tomorrow to see what we announce. I don't have anything for you right now.

QUESTION: Has any thought been given to the request by the UN official on the ground there who said we needed something -- an airlift along the lines of Berlin in terms of --

MR. ERELI: I have not seen that remark. I'd say that 40-plus helicopters working pretty much around the clock and nonstop, C-130s and C-17s is pretty significant airlift.

Thank you.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:46 p.m.)

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