WEBVTT 00:00.444 --> 00:03.765 - We are grateful that he is here with us this afternoon, 00:03.765 --> 00:05.141 Secretary Tillerson. 00:05.141 --> 00:07.391 (applause) 00:13.359 --> 00:15.363 - Well, thank you so much, Stephen, 00:15.363 --> 00:17.196 for that warm welcome. 00:20.035 --> 00:22.389 We've known each other for a long time, as well, 00:22.389 --> 00:26.556 and in my old life, would often share perspectives 00:27.219 --> 00:28.888 on what I was seeing around the world 00:28.888 --> 00:32.297 and try to get some advice on whether I was leaning 00:32.297 --> 00:34.049 the correct way to the left or the right 00:34.049 --> 00:36.632 and the advice was always sound 00:37.068 --> 00:39.182 and very appreciated, thank you. 00:39.182 --> 00:41.329 I also want to thank Ambassador Cho 00:41.329 --> 00:44.496 for his introduction and welcome, as well. 00:44.496 --> 00:46.847 And I do appreciate the opportunity to speak to you 00:46.847 --> 00:51.014 at the 2017 Atlantic Council-Korea Foundation forum. 00:51.988 --> 00:55.058 I'm really gonna use this as an opportunity 00:55.058 --> 00:57.808 to reflect on the past 11 months. 00:59.465 --> 01:03.363 So we're gonna take a bit of a walk through the year. 01:03.363 --> 01:07.530 Gonna touch on a number of issues, some geographies, 01:07.590 --> 01:11.507 and I hope in doing so, and laying out what the 01:11.563 --> 01:13.471 President's priorities have been 01:13.471 --> 01:17.271 in the foreign policy arena, that a lot of the intersections 01:17.271 --> 01:20.253 of these policies will become evident to you. 01:20.253 --> 01:23.920 I think as was just stated by Steve Hadley, 01:25.510 --> 01:28.248 the world has become so interconnected 01:28.248 --> 01:30.781 that no part of the world can actually isolate 01:30.781 --> 01:34.510 itself or compartmentalize its foreign policy issues 01:34.510 --> 01:37.634 because they all tend to touch one another 01:37.634 --> 01:38.801 at some point. 01:40.122 --> 01:42.424 So, it may come as a surprise to some, 01:42.424 --> 01:43.921 although it should not, 01:43.921 --> 01:48.088 that underlying all of our policies, our strategies, 01:48.746 --> 01:51.913 and our tactics is a clear recognition 01:52.880 --> 01:56.566 that one of the advantages the US takes into all 01:56.566 --> 01:59.566 of our various foreign policy arenas 02:02.037 --> 02:04.429 are that we have many, many allies. 02:04.429 --> 02:06.619 Many allies born of shared sacrifice, 02:06.619 --> 02:10.202 born of shared values, and none any more so 02:11.032 --> 02:13.282 than the Republic of Korea. 02:13.429 --> 02:16.028 Through our shared sacrifice on the peninsula, 02:16.028 --> 02:17.723 and the shared values that have lead 02:17.723 --> 02:21.794 to a vibrant, prosperous South Korea that we see today, 02:21.794 --> 02:24.020 and as President Trump highlighted in his remarks 02:24.020 --> 02:27.327 to the General Assembly in Seoul in his recent trip 02:27.327 --> 02:28.827 to the Asia arena, 02:30.512 --> 02:34.011 what a stark difference when one goes to the DMZ 02:34.011 --> 02:37.511 and looks just across the DMZ a few miles. 02:38.124 --> 02:40.049 To see what a difference the values 02:40.049 --> 02:42.691 that have been adopted by the Republic of Korea 02:42.691 --> 02:44.032 and what that has created in terms 02:44.032 --> 02:47.165 of the quality of life of Korean citizens, 02:47.165 --> 02:49.723 and also the contributions to the global 02:49.723 --> 02:52.914 quality of life, as well, compared to the choices 02:52.914 --> 02:55.831 that have been made by North Korea. 02:56.466 --> 03:00.129 These large numbers of allies which are a great strength 03:00.129 --> 03:03.879 of US policy around the world are not matched 03:03.912 --> 03:06.079 by any of our adversaries. 03:06.668 --> 03:10.585 None of our adversaries have such an advantage. 03:11.706 --> 03:14.579 So what I'm going to do is, I'm not going to walk 03:14.579 --> 03:17.365 because if I walk, it'll take too long, 03:17.365 --> 03:20.444 but I'm gonna jog a bit around the world 03:20.444 --> 03:22.588 and I am gonna touch on, obviously, 03:22.588 --> 03:26.324 the situation with the DPRK and our relations 03:26.324 --> 03:28.958 with China, but I'm gonna touch on 03:28.958 --> 03:32.402 the efforts to defeat ISIS and, in particular, 03:32.402 --> 03:34.624 our efforts in Iraq and Syria, 03:34.624 --> 03:36.733 the broader counterterrorism policies 03:36.733 --> 03:40.146 that we are executing through the Middle East, 03:40.146 --> 03:41.431 many of which emerged from 03:41.431 --> 03:44.493 the President's historic Riyadh Summit, 03:44.493 --> 03:46.591 but how the counterterrorism is playing out 03:46.591 --> 03:48.342 in other parts of the world, 03:48.342 --> 03:50.121 in the Sahel in Africa, in Libya, 03:50.121 --> 03:52.788 but also we see it even in Asia, 03:53.017 --> 03:56.434 in the region in Philippines in Mindinao. 03:56.749 --> 03:59.250 Gonna touch on South Asia and the President's policy 03:59.250 --> 04:01.829 on Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, 04:01.829 --> 04:04.496 the EU-NATO relationship, Russia 04:05.702 --> 04:09.869 and our efforts to re-establish relations with Russia, 04:10.023 --> 04:12.046 and then I'm gonna just tick very quickly 04:12.046 --> 04:13.363 a few of the issues we're dealing with 04:13.363 --> 04:15.530 in the Western Hemisphere. 04:16.876 --> 04:19.126 But I think it is not lost, 04:20.462 --> 04:22.400 and I think the point was made, 04:22.400 --> 04:24.830 and I will not be the last to appreciate the irony 04:24.830 --> 04:27.830 of Atlantic Council hosting an event 04:27.906 --> 04:30.300 on US partnership with South Korea, 04:30.300 --> 04:32.281 and I think that point's been made. 04:32.281 --> 04:35.690 But in my view, it does make perfect sense, 04:35.690 --> 04:38.051 because as you have seen it takes unity 04:38.051 --> 04:40.043 and strong partnerships, 04:40.043 --> 04:42.043 those that span the Atlantic and Pacific, 04:42.043 --> 04:46.210 to counter the prospect of a nuclear-armed North Korea. 04:47.031 --> 04:49.130 From his first day in office, 04:49.130 --> 04:51.114 this was the first policy President Trump 04:51.114 --> 04:53.372 asked the State Department to develop 04:53.372 --> 04:54.789 and put in place. 04:55.070 --> 04:57.760 In clear recognition that he was going 04:57.760 --> 05:00.054 to take this threat seriously 05:00.054 --> 05:02.107 and he was not going to leave it unaddressed 05:02.107 --> 05:05.058 and he was not going to accept the status quo. 05:05.058 --> 05:07.481 It does represent and did represent then 05:07.481 --> 05:10.393 the most immediate threat to our country 05:10.393 --> 05:14.560 and that we would end the era of strategic patience 05:15.069 --> 05:18.624 and begin an era of strategic accountability. 05:18.624 --> 05:22.507 The threat is simply too large to ignore any longer. 05:22.507 --> 05:26.674 Our policy with respect to the DPRK is really quite clear, 05:27.182 --> 05:29.092 and that is the complete and verifiable 05:29.092 --> 05:31.883 denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. 05:31.883 --> 05:35.796 It is a policy that is shared by others in the region. 05:35.796 --> 05:38.586 In fact, that is China's policy as well, 05:38.586 --> 05:42.253 and Russia has stated it is also its policy. 05:42.783 --> 05:45.022 So, while it is commonly held, 05:45.022 --> 05:47.167 our tactics for implementing the policy 05:47.167 --> 05:50.917 may differ a bit among parties in the region. 05:51.785 --> 05:54.264 Our approach, as you've seen, is to impose 05:54.264 --> 05:58.264 ever greater penalties and ever greater pressure 05:58.336 --> 06:02.503 on the regime in North Korea to persuade them to halt 06:03.178 --> 06:05.585 their current nuclear weapons development program 06:05.585 --> 06:09.393 and their systems by which they can deliver these weapons 06:09.393 --> 06:13.560 and to change that course and to choose a different course. 06:15.187 --> 06:17.911 We have put in place now over the past many months 06:17.911 --> 06:21.720 the most comprehensive set of economic sanctions 06:21.720 --> 06:24.083 that I think have ever been assembled 06:24.083 --> 06:27.370 through two very comprehensive UN Security Council 06:27.370 --> 06:30.509 resolutions with the support, notably, 06:30.509 --> 06:32.592 of both China and Russia. 06:32.687 --> 06:35.441 Clearly indications of how they view the seriousness 06:35.441 --> 06:37.358 of the threat, as well. 06:37.502 --> 06:40.811 These sanctions now have banned all coal exports 06:40.811 --> 06:44.978 from North Korea, they have ended their textile exports, 06:46.592 --> 06:49.449 they have put limits and will bring to an end 06:49.449 --> 06:51.699 the export of forced labor. 06:51.702 --> 06:54.474 They have also limited the imports of fuel, 06:54.474 --> 06:56.807 they've reduced oil imports. 06:57.170 --> 07:01.337 With each action, increasing the pressure on North Korea. 07:02.578 --> 07:05.646 We do know that these are having effects on the North. 07:05.646 --> 07:08.805 This is evidenced in terms of what we see happening 07:08.805 --> 07:11.527 with fuel prices for North Korean citizens 07:11.527 --> 07:14.134 which initially jumped 90%. 07:14.134 --> 07:16.911 They're now back to where they're up only 50%. 07:16.911 --> 07:20.156 We also know there are shortages beginning to appear. 07:20.156 --> 07:22.067 And there's also, though, appearing on the shelves 07:22.067 --> 07:25.333 of North Koreans, products which previously 07:25.333 --> 07:26.833 had been exported. 07:27.267 --> 07:30.850 So now they have to be consumed internally. 07:31.445 --> 07:35.112 These are combined with diplomatic sanctions 07:35.239 --> 07:38.243 where we have called on nations the world over 07:38.243 --> 07:41.676 to, not just fully implement the UN Security Council 07:41.676 --> 07:45.593 economic sanctions, but where they have a sense 07:46.384 --> 07:48.629 and a desire to do so, to also isolate 07:48.629 --> 07:51.538 the North Korean regime further by recalling 07:51.538 --> 07:54.640 their diplomats, closing their offices, 07:54.640 --> 07:56.978 and letting North Korea know that with each of these 07:56.978 --> 08:01.145 provocative tests, they only become more and more isolated. 08:01.150 --> 08:02.926 More than 22 countries have sent 08:02.926 --> 08:05.759 North Korea's diplomats back home. 08:06.494 --> 08:09.259 And for some, it may not seem significant, 08:09.259 --> 08:11.570 but for small countries that may not have a lot of 08:11.570 --> 08:15.359 economic influence, it is yet another important signal. 08:15.359 --> 08:19.192 So from nations like Peru, to Spain, to Italy, 08:19.361 --> 08:23.528 to Portugal, have cut off the diplomacy ties, as well. 08:24.562 --> 08:25.828 And we know the regime notices when 08:25.828 --> 08:28.732 that Ambassador comes home because they're 08:28.732 --> 08:31.788 not representing that office elsewhere, 08:31.788 --> 08:34.226 further isolating them from their contact 08:34.226 --> 08:36.476 with the rest of the world. 08:36.667 --> 08:39.588 These are all very important steps, again, 08:39.588 --> 08:41.753 to reinforce to the regime that, 08:41.753 --> 08:44.659 with each step you take, you only isolate 08:44.659 --> 08:48.560 yourself further, and you do not improve your security, 08:48.560 --> 08:51.393 but you degrade your own security. 08:51.558 --> 08:53.481 Important to the success of all of this 08:53.481 --> 08:56.439 is the very strong trilateral relationship 08:56.439 --> 08:58.357 that exists between the United States, 08:58.357 --> 09:00.980 the Republic of Korea and Japan. 09:00.980 --> 09:03.288 This is the basis for the security, 09:03.288 --> 09:05.400 the structure of the region, 09:05.400 --> 09:08.314 and it is one that we continue in place 09:08.314 --> 09:11.207 and we continue to exercise together, 09:11.207 --> 09:15.374 so that we are ready for any possible military response 09:15.566 --> 09:17.483 that might be required. 09:18.799 --> 09:21.953 The enforcement of these sanctions have also gone beyond 09:21.953 --> 09:26.080 the direct entities, but we've also sanctioned individuals 09:26.080 --> 09:28.706 and other entities including banks, 09:28.706 --> 09:31.305 some banks within China and elsewhere 09:31.305 --> 09:34.465 who are facilitating violations of these sanctions 09:34.465 --> 09:35.614 by North Korea. 09:35.614 --> 09:39.405 So anywhere we see North Korea attempting to exploit 09:39.405 --> 09:43.040 loopholes or attempting to exploit other avenues 09:43.040 --> 09:45.925 to skirt these sanctions, we attempt to close 09:45.925 --> 09:47.425 those off as well. 09:49.406 --> 09:52.912 Time is marching on, and with each additional test, 09:52.912 --> 09:54.962 North Korea does demonstrate the advancement 09:54.962 --> 09:56.012 of its program. 09:56.012 --> 09:59.623 The most recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, 09:59.623 --> 10:02.795 I think demonstrates they certainly have capability 10:02.795 --> 10:05.795 to continue to advance their program 10:06.084 --> 10:08.455 and we would expect they're doing the same 10:08.455 --> 10:12.622 on other elements of an integrated nuclear weapons system. 10:13.322 --> 10:17.489 So we need the DPRK to come to the table for talks. 10:19.302 --> 10:22.661 We're ready to talk any time they'd like to talk, 10:22.661 --> 10:24.141 but they have to come to the table 10:24.141 --> 10:27.508 and they have to come to the table with a view that they 10:27.508 --> 10:30.047 do want to make a different choice. 10:30.047 --> 10:33.885 In the meantime, our military preparedness is strong. 10:33.885 --> 10:36.273 Because of the situation, the President has ordered 10:36.273 --> 10:38.310 our military planners to have a full range 10:38.310 --> 10:42.114 of contingencies available and they are ready. 10:42.114 --> 10:44.490 As I've told people many times, 10:44.490 --> 10:47.657 I will continue our diplomatic efforts 10:47.776 --> 10:50.026 until the first bomb drops. 10:50.995 --> 10:55.143 I'm gonna be confident that we're gonna be successful, 10:55.143 --> 10:57.449 but I'm also confident Secretary Mattis 10:57.449 --> 11:01.449 will be successful if it ends up being his term. 11:02.010 --> 11:05.095 With respect to China, North Korea really represented 11:05.095 --> 11:08.927 our first engagement of this administration with China. 11:08.927 --> 11:11.285 It was the first trip I made overseas was to 11:11.285 --> 11:13.948 Japan, South Korea, and China to begin 11:13.948 --> 11:17.115 the first articulations of this policy 11:17.604 --> 11:20.223 on North Korea's nuclear program, 11:20.223 --> 11:22.723 the end of strategic patience. 11:22.937 --> 11:25.505 In many ways this, I think, was fortuitous 11:25.505 --> 11:27.134 because it allowed this administration, 11:27.134 --> 11:29.142 in its first engagements with China, 11:29.142 --> 11:32.438 to find something that we could work together on. 11:32.438 --> 11:36.605 And when we understood that our policies were identical 11:36.871 --> 11:39.109 and our objectives were the same, 11:39.109 --> 11:41.785 then that gave us a platform from which to engage 11:41.785 --> 11:44.618 on a positive way from the outset. 11:46.303 --> 11:49.435 The history, as all of you know, of US-China relations 11:49.435 --> 11:52.905 has been defined since the historic opening 11:52.905 --> 11:55.866 of the relationship, with Nixon's visit. 11:55.866 --> 11:59.533 And that served the US and the Chinese well. 11:59.957 --> 12:02.874 And it served the rest of the world well. 12:02.874 --> 12:06.124 But times have changed, China has risen 12:06.388 --> 12:09.431 its economic power and, in many ways, 12:09.431 --> 12:11.646 the successful Beijing Olympics was, perhaps, 12:11.646 --> 12:15.053 the coming out of China to the rest of the world 12:15.053 --> 12:16.990 with a new sense of confidence 12:16.990 --> 12:19.740 and a new sense of a way forward. 12:20.328 --> 12:23.027 I think both of us, the US and China, are now searching 12:23.027 --> 12:26.271 for what will define the US-China relationship 12:26.271 --> 12:30.271 for the next 50 years, because that relationship 12:30.796 --> 12:32.937 that was defined by the One-China Policy 12:32.937 --> 12:36.313 and the Three Joint Communiques has served everyone well. 12:36.313 --> 12:40.217 China has risen as an economic force in the world 12:40.217 --> 12:43.870 and while they like to continue to describe themselves 12:43.870 --> 12:45.820 as a developing nation, because they have 12:45.820 --> 12:48.902 hundreds of millions who still need to move out of poverty, 12:48.902 --> 12:51.951 they are not a developing nation in the traditional sense. 12:51.951 --> 12:54.651 They have an economy that is very large 12:54.651 --> 12:58.818 and it certainly has its influence on global markets. 12:58.862 --> 13:02.004 But as China has risen, a number of disparities 13:02.004 --> 13:05.766 have now occurred between the US and China trade relations 13:05.766 --> 13:09.251 and China and other nations and trade relations, as well, 13:09.251 --> 13:11.501 which have to be addressed. 13:12.554 --> 13:15.422 So, in engaging with China and the first summit 13:15.422 --> 13:18.201 with President Xi coming to Mar-a-Lago, 13:18.201 --> 13:21.498 we worked with the Chinese to find a way to begin 13:21.498 --> 13:23.704 an exchange of understanding and views 13:23.704 --> 13:26.906 at a much higher level than had previously been conducted. 13:26.906 --> 13:28.938 As many of you know, there were many, many 13:28.938 --> 13:32.768 dialogue mechanisms with China over the past several years. 13:32.768 --> 13:35.484 I think when I got to the State Department, 13:35.484 --> 13:39.040 we had 26 different dialogues at various levels. 13:39.040 --> 13:41.594 Our view was that we needed to elevate 13:41.594 --> 13:43.644 these dialogues to a much higher level 13:43.644 --> 13:45.379 within our respective governments, 13:45.379 --> 13:48.405 closer to the ultimate decision-makers. 13:48.405 --> 13:52.572 So we created four significant high-level dialogues 13:52.802 --> 13:55.552 with representation from our side 13:55.663 --> 13:57.841 and from the Chinese side that is very close 13:57.841 --> 14:01.247 to President Trump and very close to President Xi. 14:01.247 --> 14:05.072 The four dialogues are lead by Cabinet-level secretaries 14:05.072 --> 14:09.064 on our side and the equivalents on the Chinese side. 14:09.064 --> 14:11.984 The diplomatic and strategic dialogue is chaired 14:11.984 --> 14:14.355 by Secretary Mattis and myself, 14:14.355 --> 14:16.888 and this dialogue is really to explore areas 14:16.888 --> 14:19.915 that we can work together and explore areas 14:19.915 --> 14:22.082 where we have differences. 14:22.283 --> 14:26.200 And in this exploratory process, create results 14:26.645 --> 14:29.469 that will, over time, hopefully allow us to define 14:29.469 --> 14:32.386 what this new relationship will be. 14:32.400 --> 14:35.450 The other dialogues are economic and trade, 14:35.450 --> 14:37.617 law enforcement and cyber, 14:38.001 --> 14:40.540 and social people to people dialogues. 14:40.540 --> 14:42.213 All four of the dialogues met throughout 14:42.213 --> 14:46.144 the last year and they are designed to be results-driven 14:46.144 --> 14:48.440 and the results of those were reported out 14:48.440 --> 14:52.023 during President Trump's summit in Beijing, 14:52.366 --> 14:54.116 his state visit plus. 14:56.983 --> 15:01.072 So I think with respect to our relationship with China, 15:01.072 --> 15:04.501 we now have a very active mechanism in which we can 15:04.501 --> 15:07.161 put complex issues on the table. 15:07.161 --> 15:11.027 And we have differences such as the South China Sea 15:11.027 --> 15:14.278 and China's building of structures, militarization 15:14.278 --> 15:17.752 of these structures, and how that affects our allies 15:17.752 --> 15:21.919 in the region, as well, in terms of free and open trade. 15:22.642 --> 15:24.469 As we've said to the Chinese, 15:24.469 --> 15:26.781 we hope we can find a way to freeze 15:26.781 --> 15:29.680 this particular activity, whether we can reverse it 15:29.680 --> 15:33.847 remains to be seen, but it is not acceptable to us 15:38.062 --> 15:40.592 that these islands continue to be developed 15:40.592 --> 15:43.925 and certainly not for military purposes. 15:46.656 --> 15:50.406 In Southeast Asia, we put forth a policy here 15:51.106 --> 15:54.608 not too long ago of a free and open Indo-Pacific. 15:54.608 --> 15:58.396 And this was built on the back of some of our views 15:58.396 --> 16:01.646 about China's One Belt One Road policy. 16:02.694 --> 16:05.886 China's One Belt One Road, we understand is a policy 16:05.886 --> 16:08.389 they have to continue their economic development 16:08.389 --> 16:11.134 and our policies do not seek to contain 16:11.134 --> 16:15.234 China's economic development, but China's economic 16:15.234 --> 16:17.881 development, in our view, should take place 16:17.881 --> 16:20.630 in the system of international rules and norms 16:20.630 --> 16:23.714 and One Belt One Road seems to want to define 16:23.714 --> 16:25.714 its own rules and norms. 16:26.315 --> 16:28.542 I'd like to quote Secretary Mattis' comment on 16:28.542 --> 16:31.281 One Belt One Road for China, he said, 16:31.281 --> 16:33.234 "Well, the US and the rest of the world has 16:33.234 --> 16:36.483 "many belts and many roads and no one country 16:36.483 --> 16:39.066 "gets to decide what they are." 16:40.118 --> 16:42.685 So, a free and open Indo-Pacific means 16:42.685 --> 16:45.768 all countries have access to continue 16:45.794 --> 16:49.517 their economic development and free access for trade 16:49.517 --> 16:50.905 through the region. 16:50.905 --> 16:53.878 As part of the free and open Indo-Pacific, 16:53.878 --> 16:56.695 we have elevated our engagement with India. 16:56.695 --> 16:58.861 We've long had a trilateral relationship 16:58.861 --> 17:01.190 in the Indo-Pacific between Japan, Australia 17:01.190 --> 17:03.789 and the US, and we're now working toward whether 17:03.789 --> 17:07.801 this will become a quad relationship to include India 17:07.801 --> 17:11.163 because of the importance of India's rising economy, 17:11.163 --> 17:14.463 as well, and I think shared national security concerns 17:14.463 --> 17:16.463 that we have with India. 17:21.697 --> 17:25.521 And moving to the defeat ISIS campaign quickly, 17:25.521 --> 17:29.688 and Iraq and Syria, as the President entered office, 17:30.042 --> 17:34.042 he took a significant policy shift in the war to 17:34.333 --> 17:37.750 defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria and ordered 17:38.210 --> 17:39.972 aggressive new strategies and empowered 17:39.972 --> 17:43.077 our military commanders on the ground to carry out 17:43.077 --> 17:47.052 battlefield decisions in a way that would win the war 17:47.052 --> 17:48.635 on the battlefield. 17:49.098 --> 17:52.361 After fully activating the DOD approach of by, with 17:52.361 --> 17:55.694 and through others with his authorities, 17:56.105 --> 17:59.180 the military has, in fact, began to make significant gains 17:59.180 --> 18:02.280 and, as we know today, Prime Minister Abadi 18:02.280 --> 18:05.613 recently declared ISIS defeated in Iraq. 18:05.673 --> 18:08.001 We are still defeating ISIS in Syria, 18:08.001 --> 18:11.251 but significant progress has been made. 18:12.080 --> 18:14.161 As a result of the military success, 18:14.161 --> 18:16.476 we in the State Department have really had to 18:16.476 --> 18:19.039 run fast to catch up with the military success 18:19.039 --> 18:22.273 with the diplomatic plans as to what comes after 18:22.273 --> 18:23.856 the defeat of ISIS. 18:24.750 --> 18:26.550 And we've executed much of this through 18:26.550 --> 18:29.807 the Coalition to Defeat ISIS, a coalition of 74 members, 18:29.807 --> 18:33.584 68 countries and including organizations such as 18:33.584 --> 18:36.084 NATO, Interpol, EU and others. 18:36.784 --> 18:39.661 Seven and a half million people have now been freed 18:39.661 --> 18:42.661 of ISIS' clutches in Iraq and Syria. 18:43.453 --> 18:46.758 95% of territory previously controlled by 18:46.758 --> 18:49.918 their caliphate, has now been liberated. 18:49.918 --> 18:53.249 Our efforts now are to stabilize these areas 18:53.249 --> 18:56.898 after liberation to avoid a reemergence of ISIS 18:56.898 --> 19:00.527 but also to avoid a reemergence of local conflicts 19:00.527 --> 19:02.444 between various groups. 19:03.186 --> 19:07.353 So our work with the DOD is to deconflict the battlefield 19:08.221 --> 19:10.995 and to stabilize areas and we've had success working 19:10.995 --> 19:14.601 with Jordan and with Russia in Syria to create 19:14.601 --> 19:17.415 de-escalation zones that prevent the reemergence 19:17.415 --> 19:18.832 of the civil war. 19:19.426 --> 19:23.259 All directed towards moving the talks in Syria 19:24.094 --> 19:27.244 to Geneva to fully implement UN Security Council 19:27.244 --> 19:29.816 Resolution 2254, which calls for 19:29.816 --> 19:33.983 a new Syrian constitution and elections be overseen 19:34.223 --> 19:35.773 by the United Nations in which 19:35.773 --> 19:38.273 all Syrian diaspora will vote. 19:38.953 --> 19:40.722 So this includes the voting of Syrians 19:40.722 --> 19:43.453 who have been displaced because of the fighting, 19:43.453 --> 19:45.372 whether it be due to the civil war 19:45.372 --> 19:48.622 or subsequently due to ISIS' emergence. 19:49.196 --> 19:51.614 A very important joint statement was issued by 19:51.614 --> 19:55.781 President Trump and President Putin on the margins of APEC 19:55.787 --> 19:58.972 in Da Nang, Vietnam in which both leaders 19:58.972 --> 20:01.333 affirmed their commitment to this process 20:01.333 --> 20:05.500 as the way forward to ensure a unified, whole, democratic 20:06.113 --> 20:07.363 and free Syria. 20:08.853 --> 20:12.386 Talks have begun, in Geneva again, with a reformed 20:12.386 --> 20:15.986 opposition representation and we have asked Russia 20:15.986 --> 20:19.647 to ensure the regime participates in these talks 20:19.647 --> 20:22.498 and the regime has been present at the talks 20:22.498 --> 20:26.134 and now we need to keep everyone at the table. 20:26.134 --> 20:28.396 We will continue to work with Russia 20:28.396 --> 20:32.269 in areas where we can in Syria to continue to promote 20:32.269 --> 20:36.174 a de-escalation of the violence, stabilization of the areas 20:36.174 --> 20:40.065 and a resolution for Syria that will be a product 20:40.065 --> 20:41.898 of the Geneva process. 20:43.532 --> 20:47.699 In Iraq, the liberation of all areas is now complete. 20:49.209 --> 20:51.561 And in both of the campaigns, we've now recaptured 20:51.561 --> 20:54.978 the caliphate's capitals of Mosul in Iraq 20:55.282 --> 20:56.865 and Raqqa in Syria. 20:58.448 --> 21:01.867 I think the early engagement in Iraq with Arab neighbors 21:01.867 --> 21:03.885 has been important to the future of Iraq 21:03.885 --> 21:08.052 also being sustained with its democratic government 21:09.045 --> 21:12.462 and sustaining Iraq as a unified country. 21:13.434 --> 21:16.160 Having Arab neighbors engage early 21:16.160 --> 21:18.966 as the war to defeat ISIS progressed, 21:18.966 --> 21:21.486 importantly with the historic visit 21:21.486 --> 21:23.326 because it's been more than three decades 21:23.326 --> 21:27.493 since the Arab world had relationships with Baghdad. 21:27.729 --> 21:30.437 The Saudis were the first to engage 21:30.437 --> 21:33.354 and have created now economic talks 21:33.722 --> 21:35.178 and consultative committees, 21:35.178 --> 21:37.329 they've reopened two border crossings, 21:37.329 --> 21:39.895 they are resuming flights between Baghdad 21:39.895 --> 21:42.796 and between Riyadh, sending an important message 21:42.796 --> 21:46.963 to all Iraqis and reminding them that Iraqis are Arab 21:48.766 --> 21:52.933 and you should reengage and reunite with the Arab world. 21:53.054 --> 21:55.376 There have been consultative councils set up 21:55.376 --> 21:56.767 with the Saudis and Iraqis 21:56.767 --> 21:59.904 and there'll be a second reconstruction conference 21:59.904 --> 22:02.654 hosted by the Kuwaitis in January 22:02.849 --> 22:06.079 all intended to ensure that the government in Baghdad 22:06.079 --> 22:10.017 and Iraqis understand you have friends to the south 22:10.017 --> 22:12.576 who want to support your reconstruction 22:12.576 --> 22:15.721 and your reestablishment of your country. 22:15.721 --> 22:19.888 Importantly, the policy has always been a unified Iraq 22:20.981 --> 22:23.351 and as you know, the independence referendum 22:23.351 --> 22:27.246 which was undertaken by the Kurdish regional authorities 22:27.246 --> 22:31.163 a few months back was disruptive to that unity. 22:31.976 --> 22:33.922 We're working through that process now, 22:33.922 --> 22:37.233 between Baghdad and Erbil to ensure the two parties 22:37.233 --> 22:40.070 remain unified and we are supporting 22:40.070 --> 22:44.237 both deconfliction and we're supporting a reengagement 22:44.540 --> 22:46.501 around the Iraqi constitution 22:46.501 --> 22:48.929 which was never fully implemented. 22:48.929 --> 22:51.059 And we will stand, and we've said we'll stand 22:51.059 --> 22:54.144 with the Kurds to support them in the full implementation 22:54.144 --> 22:57.600 of the Iraqi constitution, which when it is 22:57.600 --> 23:01.563 fully implemented, will address a number of grievances 23:01.563 --> 23:04.155 that the Kurdish people have had for some time 23:04.155 --> 23:07.738 and we hope will lead to that unified Iraq. 23:10.192 --> 23:11.672 In counterterrorism more broadly, 23:11.672 --> 23:14.180 again, I would take you back to the President's 23:14.180 --> 23:17.368 historic summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 23:17.368 --> 23:20.169 where he convened 68 leaders of Muslim countries 23:20.169 --> 23:23.586 around the world, making the case to them 23:23.660 --> 23:26.555 that the voices of violent extremism are a problem 23:26.555 --> 23:28.138 only you can solve. 23:28.418 --> 23:30.515 The United States cannot solve this, we can help 23:30.515 --> 23:33.087 you solve this, but this has to be something 23:33.087 --> 23:36.670 that Muslim leaders the world over address. 23:36.950 --> 23:40.877 So out of that summit were two very important commitments, 23:40.877 --> 23:43.935 to create a center to counter violent extremism 23:43.935 --> 23:46.922 in Saudi Arabia and to create a center to disrupt 23:46.922 --> 23:49.610 counterterrorism financing networks. 23:49.610 --> 23:52.322 Both of those centers have now been established 23:52.322 --> 23:54.845 and they are getting underway with work to 23:54.845 --> 23:57.869 not just defeat counterterrorism on the battlefield, 23:57.869 --> 24:00.936 as we say, or defeat terrorism on the battlefield, 24:00.936 --> 24:03.193 but to counter it in cyberspace. 24:03.193 --> 24:06.309 The center for violent extremism has a large bank 24:06.309 --> 24:09.642 of individuals that monitor social media 24:09.964 --> 24:12.673 for messaging to disrupt the messaging 24:12.673 --> 24:15.054 but also to develop counter-messaging 24:15.054 --> 24:18.067 to counter these messages of violent extremism. 24:18.067 --> 24:20.609 This is also important, and we've had these conversations 24:20.609 --> 24:23.967 with the Saudis, that they must get these messages 24:23.967 --> 24:26.624 into the mosque, they must get these messages into 24:26.624 --> 24:29.261 the madrasas, and they must get these messages 24:29.261 --> 24:30.864 into the educational materials 24:30.864 --> 24:33.045 that are put into the schools. 24:33.045 --> 24:36.111 The Saudis are publishing new materials now, 24:36.111 --> 24:37.769 they are recalling materials, 24:37.769 --> 24:40.152 but we have a lot of work to do to overcome 24:40.152 --> 24:43.152 these messages of violent extremism. 24:43.349 --> 24:45.402 The center to counter terrorism financing 24:45.402 --> 24:47.469 is also being established with the help 24:47.469 --> 24:49.034 of the Treasury Department 24:49.034 --> 24:51.975 and it is linking up with other sources of information 24:51.975 --> 24:54.206 around the world to be able to track 24:54.206 --> 24:57.687 how funds are moved about to support terrorist activities 24:57.687 --> 24:58.937 the world over. 24:59.132 --> 25:00.801 Again, we can win on the battlefield, 25:00.801 --> 25:02.806 but if we don't win in the cyberspace 25:02.806 --> 25:05.323 and we don't disrupt the network's abilities 25:05.323 --> 25:08.984 to reestablish themselves, we know they will appear 25:08.984 --> 25:11.609 elsewhere, as we have seen them appear in Libya, 25:11.609 --> 25:13.842 we've seen them appear in Mindanao, 25:13.842 --> 25:16.726 we've seen them appear in the Sahel. 25:16.726 --> 25:18.610 The global effort to defeat ISIS 25:18.610 --> 25:21.447 and the global effort to defeat terrorism 25:21.447 --> 25:24.607 is one of the President's top priorities. 25:24.607 --> 25:26.779 And that takes us to the South Asia policy 25:26.779 --> 25:29.612 in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India 25:29.855 --> 25:31.950 and the approach to this policy really was 25:31.950 --> 25:33.617 a regional approach. 25:33.752 --> 25:36.759 The President made the decision and announced the policy 25:36.759 --> 25:38.729 that we would remain in Afghanistan, 25:38.729 --> 25:40.840 we would remain engaged in the fight to defeat 25:40.840 --> 25:44.059 the Taliban and that the time and effort would be 25:44.059 --> 25:45.476 conditions-based. 25:46.809 --> 25:50.892 He said it's not a blank check, it's not forever, 25:51.018 --> 25:53.606 so the government of Afghanistan needs to understand 25:53.606 --> 25:56.084 they must continue their reform journey 25:56.084 --> 25:58.772 and they must continue to create conditions 25:58.772 --> 26:01.167 that will be inclusive to all ethnic groups 26:01.167 --> 26:04.862 within Afghanistan including a place for the Taliban 26:04.862 --> 26:07.446 to participate in a legitimate government 26:07.446 --> 26:10.194 when the Taliban is ready to renounce terrorism, 26:10.194 --> 26:13.305 renounce the fight, and come to the table. 26:13.305 --> 26:16.888 So a conditions-based approach is to ensure 26:17.574 --> 26:21.030 the Taliban know you will never win a battlefield victory 26:21.030 --> 26:23.181 and the way forward is going to be by engaging 26:23.181 --> 26:25.431 in a reconciliation process 26:25.551 --> 26:29.718 and ultimately joining a government in Afghanistan. 26:29.821 --> 26:31.534 An important part of the regional approach 26:31.534 --> 26:34.171 is our relationship with Pakistan. 26:34.171 --> 26:36.636 The US and Pakistan have had a long history 26:36.636 --> 26:39.649 of good relations, but that relationship has really 26:39.649 --> 26:42.482 deteriorated over the past decade. 26:42.851 --> 26:47.018 So now we're engaged with Pakistan in a conversation 26:47.985 --> 26:51.220 to ensure our expectations of them are clear, 26:51.220 --> 26:55.387 that our concern is really about Pakistan's stability. 26:55.640 --> 26:58.630 Pakistan has allowed so many terrorist organizations 26:58.630 --> 27:01.538 to find safe haven within its territories 27:01.538 --> 27:03.991 and these organizations are growing in size 27:03.991 --> 27:06.622 and influence, that at some point I have said 27:06.622 --> 27:10.160 to the leadership of Pakistan, you may be the target 27:10.160 --> 27:12.106 when they turn their attention from Kabul 27:12.106 --> 27:16.068 and decide they like Islamabad as a target better. 27:16.068 --> 27:19.092 We want to work with Pakistan to stamp out terrorism 27:19.092 --> 27:20.884 within their boundaries as well. 27:20.884 --> 27:24.272 But Pakistan has to begin the process of changing 27:24.272 --> 27:28.439 its relationship with the Haqqani network and with others. 27:29.213 --> 27:31.145 I understand that this is a relationship 27:31.145 --> 27:34.356 that has emerged probably for, in their view, 27:34.356 --> 27:38.180 good reasons a decade ago, but now that relationship 27:38.180 --> 27:41.475 has to be altered because, if they're not careful, 27:41.475 --> 27:42.867 Pakistan is going to lose control 27:42.867 --> 27:44.617 of their own country. 27:45.052 --> 27:47.700 We want to work with them in a positive way, 27:47.700 --> 27:50.222 we're willing to share information with them 27:50.222 --> 27:51.829 and we want them to be successful, 27:51.829 --> 27:54.797 but we cannot continue with the status quo 27:54.797 --> 27:58.107 where terrorist organizations are allowed to find 27:58.107 --> 28:00.607 safe haven inside of Pakistan. 28:02.932 --> 28:05.973 I wanna touch a bit on the NATO and Europe 28:05.973 --> 28:07.721 relationship quickly. 28:07.721 --> 28:10.773 This was an early trip of the President's, as well. 28:10.773 --> 28:13.078 I think the important thing is that 28:13.078 --> 28:16.435 the Atlantic Alliance is as strong as ever, 28:16.435 --> 28:19.453 notwithstanding what people may describe 28:19.453 --> 28:20.657 or want to write. 28:20.657 --> 28:22.824 I just came back from a full week in Europe, 28:22.824 --> 28:25.698 two days in Brussels at NATO and meetings with 28:25.698 --> 28:27.698 the EU member countries, 28:28.459 --> 28:31.319 was in Vienna for the OSCE meetings, 28:31.319 --> 28:33.578 and then a full day in Paris. 28:33.578 --> 28:36.745 Everywhere that I went this past week, 28:36.917 --> 28:40.508 and at every engagement, there's still very strong ties 28:40.508 --> 28:44.073 between the US and all of our partners and allies 28:44.073 --> 28:47.111 within Europe, and there is great unity around 28:47.111 --> 28:48.878 issues of importance to both of us, 28:48.878 --> 28:53.045 which are security issues, economic and trade issues. 28:53.344 --> 28:56.074 We have a lot that we have to work through. 28:56.074 --> 28:58.867 The President's message to our European allies 28:58.867 --> 29:02.745 has been we're there for you, we will be there for you, 29:02.745 --> 29:05.148 but at NATO in particular, and we will meet that 29:05.148 --> 29:08.981 Article 5 commitment, but to our NATO partners 29:09.751 --> 29:13.275 and member countries, you cannot ask the American people 29:13.275 --> 29:15.978 to care more about the security of your citizens 29:15.978 --> 29:17.895 than you care yourself. 29:18.140 --> 29:20.158 So the President has been very demanding 29:20.158 --> 29:21.658 on burden sharing. 29:21.866 --> 29:24.114 The American people simply cannot carry 29:24.114 --> 29:26.980 a disproportionate share of this burden 29:26.980 --> 29:29.095 for years to come and everyone 29:29.095 --> 29:32.492 has to be willing to take their share of this. 29:32.492 --> 29:35.084 There are agreements at NATO for all countries 29:35.084 --> 29:38.039 to achieve a 2% of GDP defense spending 29:38.039 --> 29:40.086 and the President is putting a lot of pressure 29:40.086 --> 29:41.687 on countries to meet that. 29:41.687 --> 29:43.809 A number of countries have stepped up, 29:43.809 --> 29:47.369 NATO's receipts and spending are up about 8% this year, 29:47.369 --> 29:49.860 and others have put in commitments and plans 29:49.860 --> 29:51.993 to increase their defense spending. 29:51.993 --> 29:54.485 This will give NATO a stronger defense posture 29:54.485 --> 29:56.740 to deal with threats from the south, 29:56.740 --> 29:59.006 which is an area we've asked NATO to focus on 29:59.006 --> 30:02.589 counterterrorism because European countries 30:02.631 --> 30:05.920 feel the greatest effects of the trans-migration 30:05.920 --> 30:08.663 that has occurred as a result of ISIS. 30:08.663 --> 30:12.330 And also threats from the east, from Russia. 30:12.442 --> 30:14.609 Which brings me to Russia. 30:14.771 --> 30:16.401 I think the President has been quite clear 30:16.401 --> 30:18.263 that he views it as extremely important 30:18.263 --> 30:20.463 that the United States and Russia have 30:20.463 --> 30:22.380 a working relationship. 30:22.435 --> 30:23.768 Today we do not. 30:24.466 --> 30:27.524 And I have touched on areas where we are cooperating, 30:27.524 --> 30:31.024 in Syria, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine 30:31.320 --> 30:34.237 is something that we cannot accept. 30:34.571 --> 30:37.527 As I have indicated to others in Europe last week, 30:37.527 --> 30:41.124 it's one thing for countries to choose sides in conflicts, 30:41.124 --> 30:43.907 Russia wanted to choose the side of Bashar al-Assad, 30:43.907 --> 30:45.240 we chose not to. 30:45.919 --> 30:47.478 But when you invade another country 30:47.478 --> 30:51.645 and take their territory, that cannot be left to stand. 30:52.905 --> 30:55.115 And that is the basis for the very stringent 30:55.115 --> 30:57.876 sanctions regime that the US and Europe imposed 30:57.876 --> 31:00.040 on Russia as a result of that invasion. 31:00.040 --> 31:04.207 And that regime will not change until Russia's invasion 31:05.040 --> 31:08.985 of Ukraine is resolved and Ukraine's territorial integrity 31:08.985 --> 31:09.985 is returned. 31:10.831 --> 31:14.809 We are engaged in attempting to break the logjam 31:14.809 --> 31:18.809 for East Ukraine to implement the Minsk Accords. 31:19.360 --> 31:23.527 These talks were frozen when the President took office, 31:23.580 --> 31:26.267 and in my first meeting with President Putin, 31:26.267 --> 31:30.326 he asked if we would appoint someone to work directly 31:30.326 --> 31:32.578 with him, with the Kremlin to see if we could 31:32.578 --> 31:36.411 restart these talks, or restart some movement. 31:37.916 --> 31:40.559 I appointed former NATO Ambassador Kurt Volker 31:40.559 --> 31:42.309 to take that task on. 31:42.361 --> 31:45.185 The task we're working on immediately is... 31:45.185 --> 31:47.295 And we're focused on East Ukraine because the violence 31:47.295 --> 31:51.462 in East Ukraine continues, we have higher incidents 31:51.694 --> 31:55.111 of civilian casualties and deaths in 2017 31:55.421 --> 31:57.088 than we had in 2016. 31:58.306 --> 32:01.990 Incidents of ceasefire violations are up 60% 32:01.990 --> 32:04.924 and we must get the violence down in East Ukraine. 32:04.924 --> 32:07.281 So our priority is to end the violence, 32:07.281 --> 32:10.526 stop the killing that's going on in East Ukraine, 32:10.526 --> 32:12.731 and we are working with Russia to see if we can 32:12.731 --> 32:14.841 come to some agreement on the mandate 32:14.841 --> 32:18.030 for a UN peacekeeping force that will bring 32:18.030 --> 32:20.030 this violence to an end. 32:20.105 --> 32:21.955 Then we can turn to the other elements 32:21.955 --> 32:24.288 that have to be implemented. 32:24.761 --> 32:28.191 The government in Kiev has much to do to continue 32:28.191 --> 32:29.660 their own reforms and to meet 32:29.660 --> 32:32.028 their obligations under Minsk. 32:32.028 --> 32:35.632 Russia has to use its influence on the rebel forces 32:35.632 --> 32:37.730 it is supporting in East Ukraine 32:37.730 --> 32:41.480 to end this violence and move us back towards 32:41.811 --> 32:44.213 progress under the Minsk Accords. 32:44.213 --> 32:47.380 We will return to the issue of Crimea. 32:47.410 --> 32:49.298 I know that President Putin's made it clear 32:49.298 --> 32:51.505 that's not on the table for discussion, 32:51.505 --> 32:53.588 it will be at some point. 32:54.162 --> 32:57.731 But today, we want to stop the violence in East Ukraine 32:57.731 --> 33:00.413 and let's see if we can solve that one. 33:00.413 --> 33:02.339 In other areas with Russia, 33:02.339 --> 33:05.672 we are looking for possible cooperations 33:06.091 --> 33:09.455 where we have joint counterterrorism interest. 33:09.455 --> 33:11.732 We know we're gonna have to continue to deal with 33:11.732 --> 33:13.732 Russia's hybrid warfare. 33:14.139 --> 33:16.995 We felt it in our elections and we now have reports 33:16.995 --> 33:18.970 from many European countries that they're seeing 33:18.970 --> 33:20.387 the same effects. 33:21.638 --> 33:24.028 It is something I do not understand, 33:24.028 --> 33:26.207 about why Russia thinks it's in its interest 33:26.207 --> 33:30.374 to disrupt the free and fair elections of other countries. 33:30.878 --> 33:33.211 What do you hope to achieve? 33:33.677 --> 33:35.916 I don't understand it and no one's been able 33:35.916 --> 33:37.977 to answer that question for me. 33:37.977 --> 33:40.414 But we make it clear that we see it, 33:40.414 --> 33:42.566 it needs to end, it needs to stop. 33:42.566 --> 33:45.013 And it too stands in the way of re-normalizing 33:45.013 --> 33:46.513 our relationships. 33:47.429 --> 33:49.368 We maintain a very active dialogue with 33:49.368 --> 33:52.084 our Russian counterparts, very strong mil to mil 33:52.084 --> 33:55.459 dialogues, very strong diplomatic dialogue, 33:55.459 --> 33:57.985 and so we're gonna keep that dialogue underway. 33:57.985 --> 34:01.715 But, as we've said to our Russian counterparts, 34:01.715 --> 34:03.632 we need some good news. 34:03.851 --> 34:06.303 We need something good to happen in this relationship 34:06.303 --> 34:08.570 and today we can't point to anything. 34:08.570 --> 34:09.737 We're waiting. 34:09.983 --> 34:11.150 We're waiting. 34:11.741 --> 34:13.724 So lastly, in the Western Hemisphere 34:13.724 --> 34:15.342 the things that we've been concerned with 34:15.342 --> 34:18.402 are obviously migration from Central America, 34:18.402 --> 34:21.902 from Mexico, trans-criminal organizations, 34:22.498 --> 34:24.424 the narcotics trade in particular, which also 34:24.424 --> 34:27.174 supports human trafficking trade. 34:27.477 --> 34:30.033 But we do see many other opportunities 34:30.033 --> 34:32.586 with Central and South America. 34:32.586 --> 34:35.966 We have developed strong trans-criminal organization 34:35.966 --> 34:37.818 dialogues with Mexico, we're hosting 34:37.818 --> 34:41.452 another round this week at the ministerial level. 34:41.452 --> 34:44.785 We co-hosted an event in Miami this year 34:45.367 --> 34:48.821 on Central American security and prosperity 34:48.821 --> 34:51.057 and we are working together on the situation 34:51.057 --> 34:53.126 in Venezuela, both through the OAS 34:53.126 --> 34:54.959 and through the Lima Group. 34:54.959 --> 34:57.391 I could touch on Cuba and some other areas, 34:57.391 --> 34:59.726 but I'm not gonna spend a lot of time there, 34:59.726 --> 35:02.143 I'm happy to take those in a question. 35:02.143 --> 35:05.069 And in Africa, our concentration has really been on two 35:05.069 --> 35:08.402 primary arenas, addressing the emergence 35:09.164 --> 35:12.105 of potential terrorism organizations in Africa, 35:12.105 --> 35:14.681 but also addressing a humanitarian crisis 35:14.681 --> 35:18.848 that we're facing in the Sudan and other regions of Africa. 35:19.003 --> 35:21.670 So it's been a really busy year, 35:22.226 --> 35:25.428 it's interesting to me that some people seem to want 35:25.428 --> 35:26.955 to observe that there's nothing happening 35:26.955 --> 35:29.770 at the State Department, because I'm walking through 35:29.770 --> 35:32.421 this hollowed-out building and listening to the echoes 35:32.421 --> 35:36.549 of the heels of my shoes as I walk down the halls. 35:36.549 --> 35:38.257 I had a great town hall this morning 35:38.257 --> 35:39.995 with the State Department, 35:39.995 --> 35:41.374 all of our State Department colleagues. 35:41.374 --> 35:42.791 We talked about the year in review, 35:42.791 --> 35:45.653 we talked about the redesigned State Department. 35:45.653 --> 35:47.849 And, yes, I have a lot of open positions, 35:47.849 --> 35:50.599 I have nominees for them, I'd love to get them in place, 35:50.599 --> 35:52.466 it makes a big difference. 35:52.466 --> 35:55.165 But I want to tell you, the quality of the individuals, 35:55.165 --> 35:57.550 of the career people at the State Department, 35:57.550 --> 35:59.341 the career Foreign Service Officers, 35:59.341 --> 36:02.283 the people who are serving in ambassadorial roles, 36:02.283 --> 36:04.229 they're dedicated to the mission 36:04.229 --> 36:05.982 and they're stepping up into these roles. 36:05.982 --> 36:09.565 They may be in an acting role, they own it, 36:10.260 --> 36:11.999 they dive right into these issues, 36:11.999 --> 36:13.734 they have been nothing but supportive of 36:13.734 --> 36:17.638 the President's policies, pivots that had to be made, 36:17.638 --> 36:20.571 and I know this is not easy for many of them 36:20.571 --> 36:22.336 because they've been executing a policy 36:22.336 --> 36:24.091 under the prior administration, 36:24.091 --> 36:26.434 we now are gonna go a different direction. 36:26.434 --> 36:28.764 I want to tell you, their ability and their nimbleness, 36:28.764 --> 36:30.055 they're quick to get behind 36:30.055 --> 36:32.217 and understand what the President's objectives 36:32.217 --> 36:34.995 and priorities are and then we will work hard 36:34.995 --> 36:36.264 to deliver on that mission. 36:36.264 --> 36:37.347 That's something everyone at 36:37.347 --> 36:39.055 the State Department understands. 36:39.055 --> 36:42.111 We talked a lot about it this morning, 36:42.111 --> 36:45.614 I couldn't be more proud of their accomplishments. 36:45.614 --> 36:48.285 All these issues I just went through 36:48.285 --> 36:50.285 and touched on with you, 36:50.332 --> 36:52.514 there has been some bureau over there 36:52.514 --> 36:55.444 working on this throughout this year 36:55.444 --> 36:57.795 to reposition the President's policies 36:57.795 --> 36:59.906 and to execute against those. 36:59.906 --> 37:02.282 I feel very, very confident with the team 37:02.282 --> 37:04.682 we have in place now and it's only gonna get stronger 37:04.682 --> 37:07.233 as we add some more people to it. 37:07.233 --> 37:09.927 But I'm gonna stop there and sit down 37:09.927 --> 37:11.828 with Stephen Hadley, my old friend, 37:11.828 --> 37:13.337 and we'll have a conversation about 37:13.337 --> 37:15.150 what he wants to talk about, which may be more 37:15.150 --> 37:17.039 what you wanted to talk about. 37:17.039 --> 37:20.372 I think the important thing I would say, 37:20.391 --> 37:23.141 as I made that quick walk around, 37:23.796 --> 37:27.148 I can take almost any two or three of those 37:27.148 --> 37:28.969 and we could put them on a whiteboard, 37:28.969 --> 37:32.302 and every one of them touches the other. 37:32.551 --> 37:34.151 So a lot of people, it's interesting, 37:34.151 --> 37:36.039 when I have conversations with people about 37:36.039 --> 37:38.913 well, what are you getting done in a particular arena, 37:38.913 --> 37:40.811 is to compartmentalize. 37:40.811 --> 37:43.184 This is not a world that lends itself 37:43.184 --> 37:45.798 to compartmentalization any longer. 37:45.798 --> 37:47.303 There's too many interconnections, 37:47.303 --> 37:49.401 there are too many intersections 37:49.401 --> 37:51.393 and recognizing those is important 37:51.393 --> 37:53.227 if you're really going to solve some of these 37:53.227 --> 37:55.101 and solve them once and for all. 37:55.101 --> 37:57.956 So it takes a little longer, it's hard work, 37:57.956 --> 38:01.113 but that is the nature of diplomacy today 38:01.113 --> 38:04.182 in this very complicated world we find ourselves in, 38:04.182 --> 38:06.929 which has far too much conflict going on. 38:06.929 --> 38:09.846 Our mission in life is to calm down 38:10.828 --> 38:13.739 and put an end to some of these conflicts. 38:13.739 --> 38:16.084 As I tell people at the State Department, 38:16.084 --> 38:18.251 I've told others, the first question I ask myself 38:18.251 --> 38:20.823 every morning when I get up, "How can I save 38:20.823 --> 38:22.073 "a life today?" 38:22.741 --> 38:24.555 Because we've got too many lives being lost 38:24.555 --> 38:26.253 in too many conflicts. 38:26.253 --> 38:27.086 Thank you. 38:27.371 --> 38:29.621 (applause) 38:50.359 --> 38:52.232 - Well, that was terrific. 38:52.232 --> 38:53.065 - It was a jog. 38:53.065 --> 38:56.565 - It was terrific and it's good to see you 38:59.436 --> 39:02.269 on a stage explaining the policies 39:02.387 --> 39:05.236 of this administration, I travel a lot around the country 39:05.236 --> 39:07.686 and around the world and it's the questions 39:07.686 --> 39:11.251 on everybody's lips, what is the Trump administration 39:11.251 --> 39:13.001 policy on X, Y and Z? 39:14.294 --> 39:16.973 And you set it out in a very convincing way, 39:16.973 --> 39:20.414 and I must say, without the burden of a prepared text 39:20.414 --> 39:22.824 which really shows your mastery of the issues. 39:22.824 --> 39:24.033 So congratulations. 39:24.033 --> 39:28.033 And it's good to see you out communicating more. 39:28.037 --> 39:30.540 The country and the world wants to hear it 39:30.540 --> 39:32.981 and nobody can do it better than you. 39:32.981 --> 39:36.670 I also want to point out that I think you've put 39:36.670 --> 39:38.964 a stake in the heart of this notion 39:38.964 --> 39:42.012 this administration does not believe in alliances, 39:42.012 --> 39:45.153 that's been plaguing the administration for a while 39:45.153 --> 39:47.706 and I think you made it very clear 39:47.706 --> 39:50.812 that you recognize that alliances are a unique resource 39:50.812 --> 39:53.923 for this country and something that you intend to use 39:53.923 --> 39:55.778 very actively in your diplomacy. 39:55.778 --> 39:56.611 - Indeed. 39:56.804 --> 40:00.971 - The record on ISIS is obviously an impressive one. 40:01.740 --> 40:05.565 We have about 15 minutes before the Secretary has to leave 40:05.565 --> 40:07.455 which is not a lot of time and there are a number 40:07.455 --> 40:09.145 of question that's come in, 40:09.145 --> 40:11.442 so I'm going to try to group some of these questions 40:11.442 --> 40:13.623 together, maybe get three or four of them 40:13.623 --> 40:15.873 and let you go on your way. 40:15.987 --> 40:18.822 Since this is a conference focused on South Korea 40:18.822 --> 40:22.106 and Asia, we should probably start with North Korea. 40:22.106 --> 40:25.478 I have probably 10 questions on that subject. 40:25.478 --> 40:28.769 They center on two things which I'd like to cover 40:28.769 --> 40:32.269 with you, one how optimistic are you about 40:32.998 --> 40:37.165 being able to achieve denuclearization through diplomacy 40:38.905 --> 40:42.001 and, if you're optimistic, then when do we start 40:42.001 --> 40:43.066 the diplomacy? 40:43.066 --> 40:46.214 There's a view out amongst some that, in fact, 40:46.214 --> 40:48.977 the administration is and should be letting 40:48.977 --> 40:51.810 the pressure build on North Korea, 40:51.943 --> 40:54.570 ramping up the sanctions, putting pressure on China 40:54.570 --> 40:56.329 to put more pressure on North Korea, 40:56.329 --> 40:58.633 getting Russia into the tent so they don't 40:58.633 --> 41:02.550 substitute for what China might be cutting off. 41:03.120 --> 41:05.091 And that may be the right approach, 41:05.091 --> 41:08.360 but in your view, when do we get to the negotiations? 41:08.360 --> 41:10.259 And is there any precondition? 41:10.259 --> 41:12.683 And the one, of course, people are concerned about, 41:12.683 --> 41:14.680 North Korea says they will not come to the table 41:14.680 --> 41:16.742 to talk about denuclearization, 41:16.742 --> 41:19.308 our position is that's the only thing worth talking about. 41:19.308 --> 41:21.333 (laughs) How do you get over that? 41:21.333 --> 41:22.828 So can you talk about how 41:22.828 --> 41:25.828 the diplomatic process might unfold? 41:26.237 --> 41:28.605 - Well, first I would say the diplomacy is underway, 41:28.605 --> 41:29.694 it has been underway. 41:29.694 --> 41:32.777 In fact, the entire sanctions regime, 41:33.022 --> 41:36.798 the pressure campaign, that is a piece of diplomacy, 41:36.798 --> 41:40.548 is how to create an understanding on the part 41:40.762 --> 41:44.929 of the North Koreans that the world does not accept this, 41:45.198 --> 41:48.005 so that they understand that if they continue, 41:48.005 --> 41:50.025 the isolation just continues. 41:50.025 --> 41:53.011 So that, in and of itself, is diplomacy 41:53.011 --> 41:57.178 and it was a very deliberate decision taken at the outset 41:57.424 --> 42:01.411 of the policy itself, is that simply picking up the phone 42:01.411 --> 42:05.578 and calling Kim Jong Un back in February and March 42:06.094 --> 42:07.896 when we first were developing this and saying, 42:07.896 --> 42:10.251 "Hey, you know, we really don't like those nuclear tests 42:10.251 --> 42:13.227 "you're doing, can we sit down and talk?" 42:13.227 --> 42:17.322 probably was not going to get anyone to the table. 42:17.322 --> 42:19.362 So I think we took the view, 42:19.362 --> 42:21.960 and we looked at the past efforts, talks, 42:21.960 --> 42:25.128 and the President has touched on this many times, 42:25.128 --> 42:28.674 we've looked at what others tried and failed 42:28.674 --> 42:30.693 and the North Koreans have been masters 42:30.693 --> 42:34.001 at always gaming those talks, and they have never proven 42:34.001 --> 42:36.501 to be a reliable counterparty. 42:36.957 --> 42:40.707 So we decided we were going to undertake this 42:40.866 --> 42:44.783 very intensive campaign of sanctions this time, 42:44.867 --> 42:46.870 but it was only going to be successful 42:46.870 --> 42:48.702 if first we built out very 42:48.702 --> 42:50.942 broad international participation. 42:50.942 --> 42:53.501 So this wasn't just about the United States 42:53.501 --> 42:55.167 and a few other countries, 42:55.167 --> 42:58.777 but it was very broad-based in its participation 42:58.777 --> 43:02.542 and it had to have the active engagement of China 43:02.542 --> 43:05.292 and Russia in a very serious way. 43:06.112 --> 43:08.363 And this really was the beginning of the discussions 43:08.363 --> 43:10.693 with China and much of the decision to go forward 43:10.693 --> 43:14.860 hinged on China's telling us they would participate. 43:15.586 --> 43:17.960 I would tell you, in our judgment, they have 43:17.960 --> 43:21.242 participated, they are fully implementing the sanctions. 43:21.242 --> 43:23.485 That's why it is having an effect. 43:23.485 --> 43:27.652 The President would like to see China cut the oil off. 43:27.729 --> 43:31.195 The last time the North Koreans came to the table, 43:31.195 --> 43:33.507 it was because China cut the oil off. 43:33.507 --> 43:34.975 Three days later, the North Koreans were 43:34.975 --> 43:36.725 at the table talking. 43:36.781 --> 43:39.816 The President feels we're really to that stage, 43:39.816 --> 43:41.902 so he's putting a lot of pressure on the Chinese 43:41.902 --> 43:43.998 to do more with respect to oil. 43:43.998 --> 43:45.998 When do the talks begin? 43:46.114 --> 43:49.197 We've said, from the diplomatic side, 43:50.095 --> 43:54.262 we're ready to talk any time North Korea would like to talk. 43:55.065 --> 43:56.751 and we're ready to have the first meeting 43:56.751 --> 43:59.834 without precondition, let's just meet 44:01.179 --> 44:04.782 and we can talk about the weather if you want. 44:04.782 --> 44:06.652 We can talk about whether is gonna be a square table 44:06.652 --> 44:09.037 or a round table if that's what you're excited about. 44:09.037 --> 44:10.611 (Hadley chuckles) 44:10.611 --> 44:14.528 But can we at least sit down and see each other 44:15.021 --> 44:16.104 face to face? 44:16.482 --> 44:20.565 And then we can begin to lay out a map, a roadmap 44:22.375 --> 44:25.569 of what we might be willing to work towards. 44:25.569 --> 44:26.475 I don't think... 44:26.475 --> 44:29.504 It's not realistic to say we're only going talk 44:29.504 --> 44:32.536 if you come to the table ready to give up your program. 44:32.536 --> 44:34.583 They have too much invested in it. 44:34.583 --> 44:38.599 And the President's very realistic about that, as well. 44:38.599 --> 44:41.254 So it's really about how do you even begin the process 44:41.254 --> 44:43.464 of engagement, because we're dealing with a new leader 44:43.464 --> 44:46.932 in North Korea that no one's ever engaged with. 44:46.932 --> 44:49.403 He clearly is not like his father. 44:49.403 --> 44:50.236 - Yeah. 44:50.236 --> 44:52.986 - Nor is he like his grandfather. 44:53.093 --> 44:55.992 We don't know a whole lot about what it will be like 44:55.992 --> 44:57.575 to engage with him. 44:57.612 --> 45:00.665 I think that's why my expectations of how to start 45:00.665 --> 45:03.906 are really framed around, first I have to know who 45:03.906 --> 45:05.406 my counterpart is. 45:06.036 --> 45:07.819 I have to know something about them. 45:07.819 --> 45:10.906 I have to understand how do they process? 45:10.906 --> 45:12.406 How do they think? 45:12.682 --> 45:15.503 Because getting to an agreement, as all of us know 45:15.503 --> 45:19.315 in negotiations, means a willingness to talk about 45:19.315 --> 45:20.578 a lot of things. 45:20.578 --> 45:22.882 Let's just put a lot of things on the table. 45:22.882 --> 45:25.805 And what do you want to put on the table? 45:25.805 --> 45:28.366 And we'll tell you what we want to put on the table. 45:28.366 --> 45:31.435 The important thing is that we get started. 45:31.435 --> 45:34.070 The only, if there was any condition at all to this, 45:34.070 --> 45:37.683 is that, look, it's gonna be tough to talk if, 45:37.683 --> 45:38.717 in the middle of our talks, 45:38.717 --> 45:41.550 you decide to test another device. 45:41.688 --> 45:43.413 It's gonna be difficult to talk if, 45:43.413 --> 45:44.246 in the middle of our talks, 45:44.246 --> 45:46.561 you decide to fire another one off. 45:46.561 --> 45:48.856 So I think they clearly understand that, 45:48.856 --> 45:52.536 if we're gonna talk, we have to have a period of quiet. 45:52.536 --> 45:54.104 We've gotta have a period of quiet, 45:54.104 --> 45:55.380 or it's gonna be very difficult to have 45:55.380 --> 45:57.193 productive discussions. 45:57.193 --> 46:00.110 So we continue to indicate to them, 46:00.827 --> 46:04.211 we need a period of quiet, you need to tell us 46:04.211 --> 46:07.128 you want to talk, the door is open, 46:08.952 --> 46:13.119 but we'll show up when you tell us you're ready to talk. 46:13.181 --> 46:16.681 - Right, let me ask you a second question. 46:17.068 --> 46:20.485 There's a lot of talk about use of force. 46:23.476 --> 46:25.733 Some people have said the likelihood 46:25.733 --> 46:28.634 of a use of force in a conflict on the peninsula 46:28.634 --> 46:29.884 is at 40%. 46:30.775 --> 46:32.701 I sometimes puckishly say to people, 46:32.701 --> 46:35.691 well, you know that people are talking that way 46:35.691 --> 46:39.501 is an indication of the success of the President's policies 46:39.501 --> 46:41.779 because he's really convinced people 46:41.779 --> 46:44.930 that solving this problem is really important 46:44.930 --> 46:48.582 and it is part of the way of getting attention 46:48.582 --> 46:50.712 of both North Korea and China. 46:50.712 --> 46:53.071 On the other hand, there are a lot of people 46:53.071 --> 46:55.923 who have written risks and concerns. 46:55.923 --> 46:58.814 And a concern, for example, with someone like Kim Jong Un, 46:58.814 --> 47:02.048 who we do not know and who has been pretty isolated, 47:02.048 --> 47:03.453 that he might at some point think 47:03.453 --> 47:06.635 the United States is coming for him militarily 47:06.635 --> 47:07.711 and then preempt. 47:07.711 --> 47:08.544 - Mm-hmm. 47:08.544 --> 47:11.627 - So how do you look at this issue of 47:13.518 --> 47:17.268 the likelihood of military force when we hear 47:17.554 --> 47:20.887 from administration spokesmen that there 47:21.564 --> 47:23.202 are military options? 47:23.202 --> 47:25.535 What are they talking about? 47:25.725 --> 47:29.142 - Well, I think, you know, any successful 47:29.297 --> 47:32.825 diplomatic effort of this nature has to be backed up 47:32.825 --> 47:35.723 with some type of a military alternative. 47:35.723 --> 47:37.890 It can't just be a threat. 47:37.975 --> 47:40.595 It has to be a credible alternative. 47:40.595 --> 47:44.762 The President also requested that from the outset, 47:45.402 --> 47:49.203 that the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea, 47:49.203 --> 47:50.989 and I know many people have asked the question, 47:50.989 --> 47:54.084 why can't you live with a containment strategy? 47:54.084 --> 47:57.118 You lived with it with Russia, you lived with it with China, 47:57.118 --> 47:59.618 you lived with it with others, 47:59.707 --> 48:02.141 and the difference is that the past behavior 48:02.141 --> 48:06.308 of North Korea is clear to us that they would not just use 48:06.575 --> 48:10.658 the possession of nuclear weapons as a deterrent. 48:10.677 --> 48:14.166 This would become a commercial activity for them, 48:14.166 --> 48:17.014 because we already see elements of it 48:17.014 --> 48:19.159 in the commercial marketplace. 48:19.159 --> 48:20.950 And in the world we live in today, 48:20.950 --> 48:24.380 where our greatest threats are non-state actors, 48:24.380 --> 48:26.462 we simply cannot accept that. 48:26.462 --> 48:30.297 We can't accept a nation that has no established record 48:30.297 --> 48:33.172 of abiding by any kind of international norms. 48:33.172 --> 48:35.906 That certainly was not the case with the Soviet Union, 48:35.906 --> 48:37.871 it's certainly not the case with China, 48:37.871 --> 48:41.343 it's certainly not the case with other countries 48:41.343 --> 48:42.625 that possess nuclear weapons. 48:42.625 --> 48:45.717 These are countries that have a history of abiding 48:45.717 --> 48:48.300 by certain international norms. 48:48.522 --> 48:51.032 North Korea has no such record. 48:51.032 --> 48:53.222 In fact, their record is quite contrary to that. 48:53.222 --> 48:54.503 And that's the reason the President, 48:54.503 --> 48:56.233 and I agree with his assessment, 48:56.233 --> 49:00.400 that we simply cannot accept a nuclear-armed North Korea 49:00.823 --> 49:02.545 and I think that's why it is the policy of 49:02.545 --> 49:04.432 the neighborhood, as well. 49:04.432 --> 49:07.015 So it is important that the diplomatic effort 49:07.015 --> 49:10.745 be backed up by a very credible military alternative. 49:10.745 --> 49:14.412 And yes, there are multiple military options 49:15.079 --> 49:18.851 that have been developed to deal with a failure 49:18.851 --> 49:19.768 on my part. 49:21.851 --> 49:23.566 That's why I say we're gonna work hard 49:23.566 --> 49:26.297 to not fail, and the President wants that, 49:26.297 --> 49:28.832 and he has encouraged our diplomatic efforts. 49:28.832 --> 49:32.528 But I think he also takes his responsibilities 49:32.528 --> 49:35.527 to protect the US and our allies from this kind 49:35.527 --> 49:39.694 of a threat seriously and he intends to ensure that 49:39.771 --> 49:43.319 they do not have a deliverable nuclear weapon 49:43.319 --> 49:45.849 to the shores of the United States. 49:45.849 --> 49:48.595 - We're running out of time and a lot of subjects 49:48.595 --> 49:50.923 we could cover, I'm gonna stay on this one 49:50.923 --> 49:52.935 to try to cover it intensively and give you 49:52.935 --> 49:57.071 two things to respond to and then we'll wrap it up. 49:57.071 --> 49:59.551 One is respect to China, a number of people say 49:59.551 --> 50:02.380 that China is concerned that if it puts too much 50:02.380 --> 50:04.726 pressure on North Korea, the regime will collapse. 50:04.726 --> 50:07.324 That means refugees going across the border 50:07.324 --> 50:10.174 and maybe the United States and South Korean forces 50:10.174 --> 50:12.485 moving into North Korean territory. 50:12.485 --> 50:14.310 And there have been a lot of people who have talked about 50:14.310 --> 50:18.146 the need for a strategic conversation at high levels 50:18.146 --> 50:22.050 with China to get an understanding about what would happen 50:22.050 --> 50:25.919 and not happen on the part of China and the United States 50:25.919 --> 50:27.461 in the events of those contingencies. 50:27.461 --> 50:30.036 You've been public about some noes 50:30.036 --> 50:32.185 that I think you've been reassuring. 50:32.185 --> 50:33.960 What are the prospects? 50:33.960 --> 50:36.855 Is the US-China relationship, and I'm not asking 50:36.855 --> 50:40.490 you to go into any details, but is the US-China relationship 50:40.490 --> 50:44.657 at a point where that kind of discussion is possible? 50:45.086 --> 50:47.715 And secondly, we haven't talked about Russia. 50:47.715 --> 50:50.294 Because the more pressure China puts on North Korea 50:50.294 --> 50:52.399 and cuts off resources, it's a potential 50:52.399 --> 50:54.950 that Russia would come in and fill those. 50:54.950 --> 50:57.617 Is Russia on side in this effort 50:57.705 --> 50:59.115 and can you talk a little bit about 50:59.115 --> 51:02.093 the diplomacy with Russia regarding North Korea. 51:02.093 --> 51:04.500 - Well, let me address the Chinese question first. 51:04.500 --> 51:08.177 One of the real values of these new high-level dialogues 51:08.177 --> 51:11.070 and the diplomatic and strategic dialogue 51:11.070 --> 51:14.358 that Secretary Mattis and I chair, with our counterparts 51:14.358 --> 51:16.338 and we actually have included 51:16.338 --> 51:19.303 Joint Chief of Staff Chairman General Dunford 51:19.303 --> 51:22.455 and his counterparts from China, as well. 51:22.455 --> 51:25.955 These are the subjects of these dialogues. 51:27.223 --> 51:29.748 For us to gain an understanding of, 51:29.748 --> 51:33.596 first how credible do we think the Chinese concern is 51:33.596 --> 51:37.513 about a mass flow of refugees across the border 51:38.522 --> 51:41.355 in the event of a regime collapse. 51:41.915 --> 51:46.082 China is taking steps to prepare for such an eventuality. 51:46.295 --> 51:49.027 I think it is something that they can manage. 51:49.027 --> 51:51.817 I don't think the threat is as significant, 51:51.817 --> 51:53.817 perhaps, others view it. 51:54.497 --> 51:56.604 I don't want to be dismissive of it, 51:56.604 --> 51:59.068 but it's not an unmanageable situation 51:59.068 --> 52:02.985 and they already are taking preparatory actions 52:03.064 --> 52:04.564 for such an event. 52:05.809 --> 52:08.589 We also have had conversations about, 52:08.589 --> 52:11.135 in the event that something happened, 52:11.135 --> 52:13.622 could happen internal to North Korea, 52:13.622 --> 52:17.789 it might be nothing that we from the outside initiate, 52:18.129 --> 52:20.910 that if that unleashed some kind of instability 52:20.910 --> 52:23.541 the most important thing to us would be 52:23.541 --> 52:27.110 securing those nuclear weapons they've already developed 52:27.110 --> 52:30.256 and ensuring that nothing falls into the hands 52:30.256 --> 52:32.195 of people we would not want to have it. 52:32.195 --> 52:34.231 We've had conversations with the Chinese about 52:34.231 --> 52:36.148 how might that be done. 52:36.210 --> 52:37.043 - Mm-hmm. 52:37.938 --> 52:40.739 - The four noes that I articulated in that first trip 52:40.739 --> 52:42.822 to Asia were intentional. 52:44.394 --> 52:46.177 That we do not seek regime change, 52:46.177 --> 52:48.265 we do not seek regime collapse, 52:48.265 --> 52:50.780 we do not seek an accelerated unification 52:50.780 --> 52:54.079 of the Korean Peninsula, we do not seek a reason 52:54.079 --> 52:56.761 to send our own military forces north 52:56.761 --> 52:58.666 of the Demilitarized Zone. 52:58.666 --> 53:01.268 We have had conversations that if something happened 53:01.268 --> 53:04.018 and we had to go across the line, 53:04.105 --> 53:08.019 we have given the Chinese assurances we would go back 53:08.019 --> 53:11.219 and retreat back to the south of the 38th parallel 53:11.219 --> 53:14.713 when whatever the conditions that caused that to happen. 53:14.713 --> 53:17.798 That is our commitment that we've made to them. 53:17.798 --> 53:20.511 Our only objective is to denuclearize 53:20.511 --> 53:23.247 the Korean Peninsula and that is all. 53:23.247 --> 53:26.457 And out of that, and out of these discussions, 53:26.457 --> 53:28.639 perhaps we can create a different future 53:28.639 --> 53:30.335 for the North Korean people because the one they have 53:30.335 --> 53:31.168 right now- 53:31.470 --> 53:32.303 - Is grim. 53:32.303 --> 53:33.324 - Is pretty dismal. 53:33.324 --> 53:35.638 As to Russia's participation, Russia has been 53:35.638 --> 53:39.418 very supportive of the UN Security Council resolutions, 53:39.418 --> 53:40.909 they could have vetoed them. 53:40.909 --> 53:42.495 They could have blocked them, but they didn't. 53:42.495 --> 53:45.242 I think on the sanctions implementation, 53:45.242 --> 53:47.159 it's not as clear to us 53:47.546 --> 53:50.713 how fully those are being implemented. 53:50.853 --> 53:53.478 We know that there are some violations, 53:53.478 --> 53:55.478 they're not hard to see. 53:56.127 --> 53:58.520 We see what they are and we, in particular, 53:58.520 --> 54:02.599 I've had many conversations with Foreign Minister Lavrov 54:02.599 --> 54:04.837 about specific issues that we see, 54:04.837 --> 54:08.504 that we would ask that they close those off. 54:09.768 --> 54:12.442 Forced labor is one, in particular, there are 54:12.442 --> 54:15.919 a large number, something around 35,000 North Koreans 54:15.919 --> 54:17.907 working in Russia today. 54:17.907 --> 54:21.717 Russia has a labor shortage, they have economic development 54:21.717 --> 54:24.644 in the east in particular that they're undertaking, 54:24.644 --> 54:28.334 so I understand why they have an economic stake in this, 54:28.334 --> 54:31.857 but it is also undermining the effectiveness 54:31.857 --> 54:32.722 of the sanctions. 54:32.722 --> 54:35.389 So, we do talk very specifically 54:35.520 --> 54:37.710 with our Russian counterparts about what we ask 54:37.710 --> 54:38.793 that they do. 54:39.009 --> 54:42.313 By and large, at the Security Council again, 54:42.313 --> 54:44.722 they've been very supportive of the sanctions. 54:44.722 --> 54:47.732 They've voiced their view of how effective 54:47.732 --> 54:49.511 they think those may be, 54:49.511 --> 54:52.094 but we do need Russia's support 54:52.608 --> 54:55.770 and when we get to the point that we're actually going 54:55.770 --> 54:57.820 to start solving this problem, 54:57.820 --> 55:01.048 we're going to need everyone in the neighborhood, I call it. 55:01.048 --> 55:01.881 - Yeah. 55:01.881 --> 55:03.022 - You know, it's gonna be important obviously, 55:03.022 --> 55:05.040 first and foremost, our allies in 55:05.040 --> 55:07.354 the Republic of Korea, but it's gonna be important 55:07.354 --> 55:10.854 to Japan, Russia, China, everyone is there 55:11.456 --> 55:15.456 to help ensure success around a diplomatic talk. 55:15.566 --> 55:18.804 - Right, we've come to the end of our program. 55:18.804 --> 55:21.426 I want to thank our Korean participants and partner 55:21.426 --> 55:24.815 the Korea Foundation, and the Atlantic Council, of course, 55:24.815 --> 55:28.872 and especially Dr. Miyeon Oh for her brilliant work 55:28.872 --> 55:30.912 in setting all this up today. 55:30.912 --> 55:32.419 I want to thank you all for coming 55:32.419 --> 55:34.998 and please join me in thanking Secretary Tillerson 55:34.998 --> 55:36.393 for being with us this afternoon. 55:36.393 --> 55:37.226 (applause) 55:37.226 --> 55:38.059 Thank you. 55:38.059 --> 55:40.309 (applause) 55:44.737 --> 55:46.875 - [Man] Everybody could please remain in your seats. 55:46.875 --> 55:49.292 Remain in your seats, please.