U.S. Policy in Croatia
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns Press Interview during SEECP Summit
Zagreb, Croatia
May 11, 2007
Interview for AP TV
AP JOURNALIST: We are in the regional summit, of leaders of this region, who are supposed to pledge cooperation. Do you think it kind of endangered by the rise of ultranationalists in Serbia? And what do you think about the situation in Serbia at the moment?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: First of all, what's happening here in Zagreb is very positive. That is, that the leaders of the region are forming a regional council to succeed the Stability Pact, and that's very positive and important. But I think that the story from Belgrade is very serious. The radicals are a party of the past, they are the party that brought about the wars in this region in the 1990s, and they are an anti-reform, anti-democratic party, and the statements of Mr. Nikolic yesterday, concerning Croatia's territory are absolutely unacceptable statements in Europe in the 21st century. And I think it is very clear that if the radicals come back to power, it will seriously harm the relationship of Serbia with the United States, and with all of the European countries, and there have been many, many warnings over the past 24 hours from European leaders and from my country, the United States, to the Serb government not to allow this anti-democratic party to come back to power.
AP JOURNALIST: Kosovo would be another trouble spot, especially in light of the ways of the radicals in Serbia.
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: We feel positive about Kosovo. I met with Prime Minister Ceku here last night, I'll see him again today, he is a fine man, we believe in the team of unity in Pristina, the United States strongly supports the independence of Kosovo. We will be introducing in the Security Council today a resolution for the independence of Kosovo with our European partners. We believe that resolution has very strong support, and we hope very much that it will be passed expeditiously by the end of this month, by May, during the American Presidency of the Security Council. And we already have, the great majority of countries in the Council have spoken out in favor of this resolution, and we believe it's the destiny of the people of Kosovo, after eight long years now to finally obtain their independence, which is a just solution.
AP JOURNALIST: Do you think Russia could veto?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: That's up to the Russian government to decide. We hope Russia is going to be constructive. Russia should be constructive. For Russia should understand that it's been the United States and Europe who for eight years, our soldiers have been on the ground keeping the peace. We have been the ones supporting politically and economically the people of Kosovo, and we'll be the ones the day after in Kosovo. We will stay, because the Ahtisaari plan provides that NATO will continue to provide security so the American troops will stay, the European troops will stay, the European Union will come in and provide the civil function to succeed the United Nations, so, we hope Russia is going to be constructive. We are calling upon Russia to work with us so that the people of Kosovo can get what they deserve, which is independence and freedom, and a future in the European Union and NATO. The way we Americans look at that, this is very much a question for Europe to decide, and for Europeans to decide, and for those countries that have made the commitment over the last eight years to Kosovo, like my own country.
AP JOURNALIST: Tony Blair has announced his resignation, that he is leaving in June, late June. How do you feel about him and do you believe that his successor, whether it will be Gordon Brown or whoever, would be as much willing to support your policies, to be as a devoted ally to Washington as Blair was, especially with Iraq?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: We are great friends of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is our closest ally. And all of us in our government have the greatest respect for Prime Minister Blair, and for what he has accomplished for the British people, and for the world during his ten years as the Prime Minister. We work very closely with the United Kingdom every day, on all sorts of issues, and I think that relationship of trust and solidarity and alliance, of course, will continue.
AP JOURNALIST: Whoever comes to replace him?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: That's up to the Labor Party to decide.
AP JOURNALIST: Shall we talk briefly about Iran? Do you think Iran is still very much defiant still, despite the UN sanctions?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: There is no question that Iran is isolated. I was just in Berlin for a meeting of the P-5 countries, China and Russia, Great Britain, France, the United States, and Germany, and we have all decided that we want to reaffirm our issue to the Iranian government, to negotiate on the nuclear issue. We are willing to meet them, any time, any place. Secretary of State Condi Rice has said that she would like to be at these negotiations. That would be the first time in 28 years that the United States would have had negotiations with Iran, serious negotiations. But the Iranian government can't bring itself to say yes. They are waiting, they are ambivalent, they are not giving a straight answer to Europe and to the United States and to Russia and China. The offer to negotiate is serious. And the Iranians should know that they have very little support internationally for their nuclear weapons ambitions. All of us want to find a peaceful, constructive way forward, we all want to have diplomatic negotiations, but the Iranians have to show up at the table for that to happen. So, I think there is a degree of frustration, frankly, among all of us, and you've seen now the Security Council passed two resolutions since December against the Iranians. You've seen leading members of the non-aligned movement, South Africa, Indonesia, vote against Iran in the Security Council. And so, the Iranians need to understand that if they want to have any support at all in the world, they have to, in a civilized way, come to the table and negotiate. That's the wish of the United States.
AP JOURNALIST: And, briefly about Croatia. It seems to be a peaceful spot in the Balkans finally?
UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: I think Croatia is one of the lead countries, if not the leading country here in the Balkans. We are very impressed by the progress that has been made politically, economically, since the war of the 1990s, the wars, I should say. The United States has an excellent relationship with Croatia, we are supporting Croatia for NATO membership, President Bush has said that when Prime Minister Sanader visited the White House, the Oval Office, last fall. And, I think, our relationship in every way is excellent, and so we would hope that countries like Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia, and Albania would look towards Croatia and see what can happen when a country is unified, when it is democratic, and when it is open to good relations with the rest of the world. So, we have an excellent relationship, we are, I am happy to be here, to represent the United States at this conference. I'll be seeing the President, and the Prime Minister later today, I saw the Foreign Minister last evening, and, I think, Ambassador Bradtke would tell you that our relationship was excellent in all ways.
AP JOURNALIST: Thank you.