Briefing En route Berlin, Germany

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I -- obviously, I don't know. I think that the political directors have made some good progress. But it's my understanding that there is still some way to go. And this session was not intended actually to be -- when we agreed to get together was not intended to be a negotiating session. It was intended to talk about the way forward and to assess where we are in the P-5+1 and the efforts that we've been making to get Iran to suspend its enrichment and begin negotiations. So I hope that even if we don't complete the resolution that the political -- we can give enough direction to the political directors to perhaps do it shortly. But I would not want to see us take the entire time just negotiating text, so it may be that we'll give some direction and then have it go back to the political directors.

QUESTION: Just one follow-up. There was some (inaudible) that you should go back to the June of 2006 offer and (inaudible) and offer (inaudible). Is that something that you're looking at for a way forward to offer Iran (inaudible)?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, the fundamental issue is I would say not -- it has not been what's on the side of the table concerning incentives. It's been on Iran's unwillingness to suspend its enrichment and reprocessing. And certainly I think it's a very generous package but -- that the six put forward in June 2006. If people want to talk about other ideas, I'm prepared to talk about other ideas. But it doesn't obviate the need for Iran to suspend its enrichment and reprocessing so that if negotiations begin we're not in a circumstance in which Iran is using those negotiations to cover continued improvements in their capabilities.

QUESTION: You don't expect them to have (inaudible)? You don't expect (inaudible)?

SECRETARY RICE: What I'm saying, Matt, is I think the political directors have made progress. I know there are still some gaps to close. We'll see where we are, but this session was not intended to be one to sit and negotiate on a resolution. It's really to look forward about the two-prong approach that we're taking. So if they are not close enough for us to close it, I don't rule out that what we do instead is simply refer it to them to keep going but perhaps with more direction from the ministers.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) question on China, do you think they are on board this time?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, they've been saying that they are on board to continue the two-track approach that we have been carrying forward since 2006. I don't think it's any secret that we and the Russians and perhaps the Chinese don't have precisely the same view of timing on these resolutions nor have the Russians, and to a certain extent the Chinese, seeing the words about proportional in quite the same way that we have. You know, in this document that we had it said something about proportional to Iranian behavior. But we're still on the two-track approach, of that I'm certain and there we have agreement and we'll just have to see what the next step is. But I don't think there is any disagreement that we ought to be moving toward a resolution, no.

QUESTION: What's the quad meeting? When do you expect to have that?

SECRETARY RICE: The quad meeting? Well, we don't get a chance to do these very often actually, and so we'll just meet and talk about a variety of concerns. It's just a smaller group to talk about the whole transatlantic agenda. We tend to talk about Afghanistan. We tend to talk about Iraq. We'll undoubtedly talk about Kosovo and -- as the Serb elections are coming up fairly soon. We'll see what else come onto the agenda. But it tends to be about a pretty broad discussion of the transatlantic agenda in general.

QUESTION: Do you (inaudible) put out a statement (inaudible)?

SECRETARY RICE: No, it's a quite informal meeting.

QUESTION: You said that there are gaps to close. Could you illuminate us on what those gaps are?

SECRETARY RICE: No. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY RICE: Yes.

QUESTION: Do you think that you're going to be able to close the gaps with Europe on Kosovo and --

SECRETARY RICE: With Europe? I don't think we have a fundamental gap with Europe on Kosovo. I think we're all in agreement that the logic of the Ahtisaari plan is going to have to play out and that the status of Kosovo is going to have to be resolved. What we're really now trying to do is to see if there is anything more that can be done to smooth the transition to make it possible for the -- all of this to be a force for stability in the Balkans not instability. But I don't think we and the Europeans have any particular disagreements. You know, we'll probably talk about timing because obviously that's going to be very important as well.

But to the degree that there are any gaps to close, I think it's less gaps to close than to have a clearer understanding of how everybody sees the timing and to have a common way forward for that.

QUESTION: Do you know if (inaudible)?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I think there's some danger in continuing to wait for what needs to be done, which is that we're going to have to resolve the status of Kosovo. Now -- up until now I thought that the time given to the troika was time well spent. I think obviously it would be good to have an outcome to the Serbian elections, so that's just fine. But at a point we're going to have to take tough decisions and putting off tough decisions doesn't make tough decisions easier.

QUESTION: Can I ask about bilats (inaudible)? Do you get the sense that the Chinese and the Russians are confused at all about (inaudible) the Administration's position on North Korea after Mr. Lefkowitz's comments?

SECRETARY RICE: Since Jay Lefkowitz has nothing to do with the six-party talks and I would doubt very seriously that they would recognize the name, no, I don't think they're confused.

QUESTION: You don't think the Chinese (inaudible)?

SECRETARY RICE: No.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) a Boston Journal editorial page doesn't (inaudible) suggested that he was (inaudible) the Administration.

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I can tell you in no uncertain terms that he wasn't. He's the human rights envoy. That's what he knows. That's what he does. He doesn't work on the six-party talks. He doesn't know what's going on in the six-party talks and he certainly has no say in what American policy will be in the six-party talks.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY RICE: And by the way, the President has spoken as to what our policy is in the six-party talks. I think that's what --

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY RICE: I know where the President stands and I know where I stand and those are the people who speak for American policy.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) President Musharraf for (inaudible) with restrictions on aid.

SECRETARY RICE: Musharraf to -- well, look, the situation in Pakistan's obviously complicated. But our strong view is that we have to have a long term consistent, predictable relationship with Pakistan, not with any one person, but with the institutions of Pakistan. And Musharraf has been a good ally in the war on terror. But our policies have been about strengthening a moderate center in Pakistan. It’s about helping in efforts to promote better education for Pakistanis. We’ve embarked on trying to help development in the most difficult region, which is the FATA region. And we’ve been very involved in trying to help the Pakistanis train for the war on terrorism and they obviously have -- all moderate forces in Pakistan obviously have very determined enemies. And I don’t see how all -- any of those interests or any of those tasks change.

Now, we are all working very hard with the Pakistanis to try and ensure that the elections will be an opportunity for Pakistan to get back on the democratic path and an opportunity for Pakistanis to come together and that’s very much on everybody’s mind. But I think the assistance is aimed at very important goals and that isn’t going to change.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.) Is there an argument to be made that (inaudible) elections are free and fair?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I think in Pakistan’s circumstances, these elections need to be elections that will have the confidence of Pakistanis. I mean, that’s the important point because with all that has happened in Pakistan, these elections are an opportunity. It’s not something for the United States or something for Europe, it’s for the Pakistanis and that’s how I see the elections. And no one has ever said that democracy is something that’s borne in a minute. It does take time. But you have to get started and you have to start putting in place the institutions that will secure democratic values and that will allow people to exercise their rights to freedom. And I even know that sometimes there will be setbacks. But it’s -- you know, every leader has an obligation to push that goal as far forward as possible and that’s what we’re saying to all of the countries with which we have a dialogue about democracy.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY RICE: Well, should one be obsessed with the rights of human beings to live in freedom, maybe so.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY RICE: The Middle East.

QUESTION: The Egyptian Prime Minister said he called you asking for (inaudible) to ask the Israelis to (inaudible).

SECRETARY RICE: Yeah. We have talked to the Israelis, yes. And I think that they are -- they’ve said that they do not want a humanitarian crisis and that they understand the need to permit fuel and electricity in Gaza. So we will see. But my understanding is that they’ve said that they will try and respond in a way that will not allow a humanitarian crisis to unfold there. Ultimately, Hamas is to blame for this circumstance because if they were more responsible toward the international community, then there would be -- Gaza would be connected to the outside world rather than cut off. But with that said, nobody wants innocent Gazans to suffer. And so we have spoken to the Israelis about the importance of not allowing humanitarian crisis to unfold there.

QUESTION: But don’t you think it’s (inaudible) every time there is tension and (inaudible).

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I think the Israelis are trying to deal with also an untenable situation from their point of view, which is the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel and the anxiety and the terror that that’s causing for the population. So I’m not surprised that this is a situation of tension. But I’m hopeful that perhaps people can look at different ways of dealing with Gaza. As you know, the Quartet has suggested that Salam Fayyad’s idea of allowing the PA to have more of a role on the -- perhaps on the crossings might be something that could be examined. And I think people need to start to try to think creatively about how to deal with the situation in Gaza.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) on Israel yesterday and he basically told us (inaudible) because they said the Bush Administration (inaudible).

SECRETARY RICE: John Bolton is a private citizen. He can say whatever he wants.

QUESTION: Thanks.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.

2008/T2-1