News

ACCESSION NUMBER:217590
FILE ID:EP-509
DATE:02/28/92
TITLE:STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, FEBRUARY 28, 1992 (02/28/92)
TEXT:*92022809.EPF
*EPF509  02/28/92 *

STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, FEBRUARY 28, 1992
(Cambodia, Burma, Korea)  (460)
News Briefing:  State Department assistant spokesman Joe Snyder briefed.
Following is an unofficial transcript of East Asia/Pacific excerpts:
(begin unofficial transcript)
CAMBODIA
Q:  Can I ask whether the US has any comment on the announcement about a
Cambodia peacekeeping force of some, I think, almost 16,000 troops?

Will the US participate in any way in that peacekeeping force either
logistically or with personnel?

SNYDER:  The president's fiscal year 1993 budget requests an additional $350
million for fiscal year '92 and $350 million for fiscal '93 for new and
anticipated peacekeeping requirements.  A substantial portion of that would
be for Cambodia.  We're working closely with the UN Secretary and other
members on this.  We do expect to participate.

Q:   Financially?
SNYDER:  Financially and as well with logistics and I believe with
personnel.

BURMA
Q:  I want to ask you about Burma.  Are we sending an ambassador to Burma?
SNYDER:  The president has nominated Parker Borg as our Ambassador to Burma
--

1:   Uh-huh --
SNYDER:  And I'm not quite sure where that stands in the confirmation
process.

Q:  Regarding the Muslims that are being driven into Bangladesh, there have
been reports that this may accelerate a great deal in the coming months.
Is the United States concerned about this at all, and able to do anything
about it?

SNYDER:  We are concerned, of course, with that situation.  Are we able to
do anything about it?  I think that's difficult to say.  We certainly have
made our views known to the Burmese government.

KOREA
Q:   Do you have any comment about the North and South Korean nuclear
negotiations which ended yesterday in futility to improve any further
steps?

SNYDER:  Yes.  Yesterday's working level meeting was to discuss the
formation of the Joint Nuclear Control Committee established under the
North-South Non-Nuclear Agreement that came into force on February 19th.
These working level talks will resume on March 3rd.  I really wouldn't want
to characterize the talks at this point.  I would suggest you ask the
Koreans themselves.

Q:   How about the Washington Post report this morning that North Korea has
begun to remove any -- some heavy equipment, presumably of current nuclear
facilities to conceal that (camp?)?

Q:   I don't have any specific comment on the details reported in that
article.  We don't comment on intelligence matters.  I can say again, as
we've said many times, that North Korea can only address international
concern about its nuclear program by promptly ratifying its IAEA safeguards
agreement, accepting inspections of all its nuclear facilities under that
agreement, and by negotiating and implementing with ROK a credible
bilateral inspection regime under their joint declaration.

(end unofficial transcript)
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