News

USIS Washington File

18 October 1999

Transcript: Secretary Albright, Japanese Official Discuss CTBT

(Albright: U.S. remains committed to nonproliferation)  (810)

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright pledged to Japanese State
Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ichita Yamamoto that the United States
remains committed to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons despite
the U.S. Senate's failure to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT) last week.

Albright and her former student Yamamoto met in Washington October 15
to spell out America's continued commitment to nonproliferation of
nuclear weapons.

Delivering a personal message from Foreign Minister Yohei Kono,
Yamamoto expressed Japanese government's grave concern about the
Senate's rejection of the CTBT.

Albright then said, "I want to assure Japan, others around the world,
and our own citizens that the Administration will continue to work
with nations everywhere to reduce the dangers posed by nuclear
weapons, and to halt their spread."

"America," she said, "will ultimately do the right thing and ratify
the CTBT."

Following is the State Department transcript of their remarks:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

For Immediate Release               October 15, 1999
99/908
REMARKS BY
SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT AND
ICHITA YAMAMOTO, JAPANESE STATE SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
AFTER A COURTESY CALL 


SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I am very pleased to welcome my friend and former
student Ichita Yamamoto, the Japanese State Secretary for Foreign
Affairs, to the Department of State.

He arrives with a message of deep concern about the Senate's vote
earlier this week not to approve American ratification of the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. As we have seen and read, similar
concerns are being expressed not simply by many, but virtually all, of
America's friends and allies around the world.

Japan is one of our closest allies, and one of the staunchest
supporters of the CTBT. It was among the first nations to ratify the
agreement and recently chaired the Vienna conference on facilitating
the Treaty's entry into force. Therefore, we take Japan's views and
concerns about the CTBT and the Senate vote very seriously, indeed.

As President Clinton has made clear, America remains committed to
stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. We will continue to observe a
moratorium on nuclear explosive tests and urge all others to do so.
And we will continue to fight, and fight hard, on behalf of America's
participation in the Treaty.

Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying that, "Americans can
always be counted upon to do the right thing, after all other
possibilities have been exhausted."

There is no doubt in my mind that America will ultimately do the right
thing and ratify the CTBT. In the meantime, I want to assure Japan,
others around the world, and our own citizens that the Administration
will continue to work with nations everywhere to reduce the dangers
posed by nuclear weapons, and to halt their spread.

Thank you.

MR. YAMAMOTO: When I was at Georgetown in 1982, and even when I was
taking her course, I never dreamed that I could see Professor Albright
in this kind of occasion. So I am so happy.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Neither did Professor Albright.

MR. YAMAMOTO: Yes, Professor Albright received me despite her
extremely busy schedule. I came here to bring a message from Minister
Kono, the message from the government of Japan to the Secretary of
State, that the Japanese Government is very much concerned about the
fact that the US Senate rejected to ratify the CTBT.

We just ask her, Professor Albright, that the United States will
continue its long-standing and utmost effort so that Congress can
support the CTBT and we can finally realize this historic, important
mechanism in the history of arms control. She said United States would
continue its utmost efforts, so I will bring her message back to
Minister Kono.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Thank you.

MR. YAMAMOTO: Thank you very much.

Q: How can the United States really get it ratified? We don't see any
possibility. How, and by when, can the United States get it ratified?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, as I said and, more importantly, the
President said yesterday, the United States will eventually ratify,
and we're going to work to make that happen. In the meantime, as I
have said and the President has said, we will abide by the Treaty.
That is what we have to do.

Q: Madame Secretary, on Pakistan, are you encouraged or discouraged by
the report from Ambassador Milam this morning?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: We're waiting, basically, to assess a lot of what
he has said. I think that, as I have said earlier, we very much regret
what has happened. We are concerned, and I need to still assess some
of the things that he said.

Thank you.

(end text)

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