July 28, 2004Back

United States Not Trying to Split Europe, Powell Says in Hungary

Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States is not trying to force any European country to choose between supporting the United States and supporting the rest of Europe.

"Our policy is not to split Europe. ... And so it is not a proper choice of words to say that if we work in central Europe this has to be at the expense of Western Europe or vice versa. The United States has to work with all the nations of Europe," he said in Budapest, Hungary, July 27 during a media availability with Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs.

Powell discussed his brief visit to the Hungarian capital, which gave him the opportunity to thank officials for the "steadfastness they have shown in the campaign against terror, especially for their contributions to the coalition efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Kovacs concurred that Hungary and the United States are allies in the fight against global terrorism.

"And I am of the position that we must be allies in strengthening democratic trends and tendencies globally, because this is what can prevent terrorism," he said.

Kovacs offered Hungary's assistance in using its recent experience to help other countries' transition to democracy, which he said could be "an important contribution that would allow us to build a more stable, a more peaceful, and indeed, a more democratic world."

After Hungary, Powell's itinerary includes travel to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He plans to return to Europe for ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, the revolt by the people of Warsaw, Poland, against Nazi forces that began on August 1, 1944, shortly before the city fell under Soviet control.

Following is a transcript of the media availability, which also includes Powell's remarks about political developments in the Palestinian Authority and progress on granting visas to Hungarians wishing to travel to the United States:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman (Cairo, Egypt)
July 28, 2004

REMARKS

REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL AND HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTERD LASZLO KOVACS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Budapest, Hungary
July 27, 2004

FOREIGN MINISTER KOVACS: (in Hungarian) ... after a short bilateral meeting. The topic of the agenda of both the lecture, the speech and the bilateral meeting will center around the possible future of this region. The State Secretary spoke with acknowledgement of the appreciation about the regional process -- the democratic changes that have changed the landscape in this region. We are of the opinion that it will be purposeful and well worth using, making use of the experiences that Hungary and other countries of this region have made in the process of democratic transition. We are allies, NATO, the mission of which is to preserve and to defend the security and the stability of the world at large. We are allies, indeed, in the fight against global terrorism. And I am of the position that we must be allies in strengthening democratic trends and tendencies globally, because this is what can prevent terrorism.

I also explained to the Secretary that Hungary herself would be and is ready to collect and summarize her experiences and experiences of other countries in the region along the process of this democratic transition, so that this can be transferred to other countries who might be only at the beginning of this plan. And, I am convinced that this can be an important contribution that would allow us to build a more stable, a more peaceful, and indeed, a more democratic world.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much, Mr. Minister, for your hospitality today. I've had a full and exciting morning and I'd like to begin to express my thanks to the Speaker of Parliament and the Hungarian people for awarding me the Grand Cross. Your political leaders and I look forward to an inviting luncheon with (inaudible) and then later in the afternoon to meet with some (inaudible) students (inaudible).

I expressed my thanks to the Minister and the other officials I spoke to. The steadfastness they have shown in the campaign against terror, especially for their contributions to the coalition efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States and Hungary are close friends as well as close allies. It is a friendship that we treasure and to do whatever we can to make sure that we (inaudible), that we strengthen the relationship. One way we might do this is by, I believe the Minister touched on, supporting Hungary in its efforts to create a (inaudible) sometime here in Budapest that might serve as a learning venture as they pass on the lessons of democracy (inaudible) freedom (inaudible). Hungary and a few other nations (inaudible) those nations that are still moving on this path. Mr. Minister, thank you for your hospitality and for the opportunity to speak with you today. Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER KOVACS: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for understanding, that we are liking very much (inaudible). Not more than three, please.

QUESTION: The question is, Mr. Secretary, from Hungarian Patriot Television. You spoke about the boldness of the freedom (inaudible). Now, obtaining a visa for a Hungarian citizen, that is to say in comparison to the process, do you foresee any easing of the visa restrictions towards these (inaudible), vis a vis the United States?

SECRETARY POWELL: After 9/11 we put in place some restrictions in order to have a better understanding of who's coming in to the United States, how long they're staying and when they're leaving. As a result of these new practices, it became more difficult to acquire a visa. However, in the past six to eight months, the situation here in Hungary I think is improving considerably. More than 75% of those who apply obtain a visa. Three out of four and we encourage more to apply. We want Hungarians to visit the United States. We have reduced the amount of time it takes to get an interview from 40 days to ten days. And we are rearranging our facilities so that it is easier to apply for the visa, to have the interview in private, and circumstances, as well as more comfortable, (inaudible) for the application, so we do everything we can to make it easier to apply for a visa and it takes less time to get the answer and we hope successfully go even higher than 75%.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, last week there were reports that Chairman Arafat was ready to sign a decree to consolidate security forces. Today Palestinian officials say that he is ready to give more power to the Prime Minister. Do you see any time where he's committed to security reform? And without that, what can the Egyptians do that's (inaudible)?

SECRETARY POWELL: We need action, not propositions, not proposals, not (inaudible) -- action. Real action that transfers power to a Prime Minister of the Palestinian people, the Palestinian Authority, and consolidation of the security services with those consolidated services being under the direction of the Prime Minister. And we haven't seen these things happen yet, notwithstanding promises and statements and, uh, quote, commitments, unquote. The golden opportunity is before the Palestinian people, it seems to me, the plan of Mr. Sharon to leave the settlements in Gaza and in some settlements in the West Bank as part of the Roadmap process and what is (inaudible) for the Palestinians at this point is to organize themselves to exercise political control and security control of Gaza. And that's what we're waiting to see happen, but it's up to the Palestinians to determine how they are going to make that happen.

QUESTION: (inaudible) I'd like to ask you a question, Mr. Secretary of State. People think that in your remarks today it seemed that you are trying to drum up support from the central Europeans, in the strengthening (inaudible) so far (inaudible) start to rely more on the central Europeans, or focus on the American foreign policy is shifting towards central Europeans rather than the, quote, Western Europeans. And Minister Kovacs, (inaudible) and the necessary (inaudible) support from the countries in this region to become more engaged in this American (inaudible).

SECRETARY POWELLL: Our policy is not to split Europe or force Europe to make false choices, a false choice. We work with western Europe, we work with central Europe, we work with eastern parts of Europe. The United States has strong alliance relations within NATO. We work closely with Britain. We have strong bilateral issues with all of these nations. And so it is not a proper choice of words to say that if we work in central Europe this has to be at the expense of Western Europe or vice versa. The United States has to work with all the nations of Europe. (inaudible) NATO of 26 and an EU of 25. We have to work with all of those nations.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what are you going to ask the Egyptians and other Arab governments (inaudible)? And are you now (inaudible) Quartet (inaudible)?

SECRETARY POWELL: This is my first opportunity to meet with the new Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Egypt and I look forward to this conversation with President Mubarak. I believe that Egypt has a role to play and as does Saudi Arabia in (inaudible) as to motivational steps they might take to assist the Palestinians as they work through this big challenge before them, how to provide the necessary authority the Prime Minister needs ... the Prime Minister of the Palestinian people needs in order to get this job done. And so with a series of regular consultation. The Quartet has been hard at work -- Mr. Solana was in the region last week and also expressed his concerns about what's been happening in the Palestinian community. The Quartet will (inaudible). We think there is an opportunity before the Palestinians and (inaudible) Israelis (inaudible) and we hope that they can keep this opportunity (inaudible).

FOREIGN MINISTER KOVACS: (Inaudible) I do feel that there is enough support in the Hungarian public for these (inaudible) against global terrorists. We do understand that it is a global issue. It's not the problem only of the United States of America, it's not the problem of Spain, it's not the problem of Hungary, it's the problem of the democratic community and it is the problem of the democratic countries. I think that there is strong support to have this kind of institution as a way of projecting democracy, which is a preventative step against terrorists and it addresses the hotbeds of terrorism.

Thank you.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)