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Article
Clinton, Brazilian Foreign Minister on Development Cooperation
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 FACT SHEET Secretary Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim Announce Trilateral Development Cooperation Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim today signed a “Memorandum of Understanding for the Implementation of Technical Cooperation Activities in Third Countries,” in Brasilia, Brazil. The United States and Brazil have a long history of partnership in delivering development assistance to maximize resources to fight poverty. Building upon these successful collaborations, this Memorandum of Understanding highlights the increased interest Brazil and the United States have in expanding work together to foster economic development, improve health care and increase social inclusion in countries that face the greatest poverty challenges, particularly in Africa and Latin America. This Memorandum of Understanding is intended to guide the United States and Brazil in jointly selecting countries to promote economic and social advances in the sectors which can benefit from such cooperation. Possible activities include supporting the recipient country in sector-specific studies and policy reviews, provision of technical assistance, and training of technical specialists from third countries in the United States and Brazil. The lead agencies for development and implementation of these projects are United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC-Agência Brasileira de Cooperação) of the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations.
3 March 2010
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Article
Clinton, Brazilian FM Amorim on Cooperation on Climate Change
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 FACT SHEET Secretary Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim Announce Increased Cooperation on Climate Change Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim today signed a “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation Regarding Climate Change” that will strengthen bilateral cooperation between the United States and Brazil as we work to meet the global climate and clean energy challenge. This Memorandum of Understanding launches a new “Climate Change Policy Dialogue” to discuss key issues, including: • The implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and ways to build on the Copenhagen Accord as quickly as possible; • Strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; • Joint efforts on research, development, deployment and dissemination of clean energy technologies; • Adaptation; • Cooperation on climate change scientific research; and • Capacity-building in sectors related to climate change. The Memorandum of Understanding will also promote increased cooperation in areas including reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, capacity-building, and technology, while underscoring our commitment to the work already underway on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and carbon capture and storage.
3 March 2010
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Article
Remarks by Secretary Clinton, Chilean President-Elect Pinera
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 2, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton And Chilean President-elect Sebastian Pinera March 2, 2010 Santiago Airport Santiago, Chile SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you very much. I just had the privilege and opportunity of a long conversation with President-elect Pinera about the immediate crisis of the earthquake and about a number of important issues that we will be working on together upon his becoming president next week. Chile and the United States have a very close bilateral relationship. We have explored a number of the important matters that are on our agendas together, but we also have regional and international responsibilities. Chile is a member of the G-20. President-elect Pinera will be coming to Washington for President Obama’s nuclear security summit. There are a number of critical issues that we must work on together. I reiterated our strong support as Chile recovers from the earthquake. And President-elect Pinera mentioned specific needs that Chile will have for reconstruction, and we’ve offered assistance in that phase as well. Well, the president-elect informed me that Chile is not a member of the G-20, but the G-20 will be working to help Chile as long – as well as other international financial institutions. And certainly with the president-elect’s background in business, he will be a very important voice in all of the multilateral discussions about the economy going forward. President-elect, on behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, we stand with you. We look forward to working with you, and congratulations upon your inauguration next week. PRESIDENT-ELECT PINERA: (Via interpreter) I want to very much thank Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her visit and also for the willingness that she has indicated to cooperate with Chile so that we can not only deal with the current emergency but also work towards the plan for reconstruction that Chile needs to carry out with a sense of a unity and solidarity. The meeting with Secretary Clinton was a long one. It was a deep meeting, it was a fertile meeting, and I think that we have covered not only many bilateral issues as well as the issues Chile is facing now during the emergency and its phase of reconstruction, but also many multilateral issues of interest to us both. We share with the United States a number of values – freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, a sense of cooperation – and above all, we share the same ideas with regards to challenges of the 21st century. And so we posed to her and we represented to her our willingness to continue to cooperate, but even more closely than before, on strengthening democracy, protecting human rights. We also asked Secretary Clinton for cooperation from the United States with regard to technology, because if the United States can provide us with very good information on renewable energy, environmentally friendly energy, technology necessary to provide housing – temporary housing, to provide prefabricated housing quickly, this is going to help, particularly in the cases of 500,000 people who have been left without shelter as a result of the earthquake; also in terms of renovation and also issues of entrepreneurship, because Chile is now at a time in its history where it needs to make a leap forward. Our hope for Chile is that it will be the first country of Latin America to beat underdevelopment, to beat poverty. And we hope to do so while we strengthen democracy and work towards peace. And finally, I asked the Secretary of State to please extend our invitation to President Obama so that he will visit Chile in the near future. And I also assured her of my attendance at the nuclear security summit in Washington, D.C. in April. I also hope that I will have the opportunity to have many more meetings with Secretary Clinton so that we can further the ties that join our two countries, so that we can work towards the achievement that our people require. And I want to thank you, Secretary, so much for being here today. I hope that our fertile bilateral relationship leads to many good things for our two nations. Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much. QUESTION: A question, Madam Secretary. Hi, Madam Secretary. I’m over here. SECRETARY CLINTON: Sorry. Oh, there you are. (Laughter.) QUESTION: Hi, Mr. President-elect. I have a question for you, whether you believe that you’re satisfied with the response of the government to the earthquake. Do you believe, for example, that they should have deployed the military within the 24-hour period? That could have, perhaps, avoided some of the looting that we’re seeing in the most affected areas. And for the Secretary: We know that you like to get out in person and see these situations for yourself. Do you feel a little disappointed that you weren’t able to in this case? And you also went to Haiti after that quake. Can you just to explain to our viewers and readers at home the differences you see and the reaction to the situation? Thank you. PRESIDENT-ELECT PINERA: (Via interpreter) When you go through a catastrophe as massive as the one that Chile has suffered, let’s remember that this was not just a large earthquake. It’s one of the greatest, most powerful earthquakes that have ever been recorded. Over 75 percent of Chile’s population was affected by it. There are basic priorities that need to be dealt with immediately. Those are to maintain public order and safety, to provide the basics needs to the people, such as water, power. If the armed forces can help in this initiative, they should be used. They can provide technology and logistics, the staff necessary to get many of these jobs done. And therefore, I applaud the Government of Chile for having established a state of catastrophe that made it possible for them to make use of the armed forces in this situation. My team is currently studying what it is we are going to do when we take office so that possibly we will be extending this state of catastrophe to continue dealing with the situation to provide water as quickly as possible, provide water – sorry, power as quickly as possible, and do this in a way that this emergency phase will come to a close quickly and we can begin with the work of reconstruction. SECRETARY CLINTON: I have been visiting sites of disasters for more than 30 years, as a first lady in Arkansas, as a first lady of the United States, as a senator from New York, and now as Secretary of State. And it is very clear to me that Chile is much better prepared, much quicker to respond, more able to do so. The leadership that President Bachelet and President-elect Pinera are providing to make sure that they work together in order to keep the recovery and relief efforts going seamlessly is exactly what one would expect. There is no doubt in my mind as we stand here at an airport that thankfully is functioning and relief flights are coming in, that Chile is prepared, is dealing with this massive disaster and will be on the road to an even better recovery in the future. QUESTION: President-elect Pinera, buenos tardes. We’d like to know how you plan to pay for the reconstruction efforts, which are going to be considerable, what you estimate they’re going to cost. And also, how does this affect your economic plan of 6 percent growth and 200,000 jobs created in your first year in office? And for Madam Secretary, we just wanted to ask you whether you think that president-elect’s attitude toward Venezuela and Cuba will be helpful or a hindrance to the relations between the U.S. and those countries, and Chile and those countries. Thank you. INTERPRETER: Dos preguntas, primero para El President-electo Pinera – sorry. (Laughter.) President-elect, how do you plan to pay for the reconstruction efforts that are going to have to be carried out, and how do you plan to reconcile those with your platform for 6 percent growth for the nation and 200,000 more jobs? And for Secretary Clinton, the question was -- SECRETARY CLINTON: No, just his answer is sufficient. INTERPRETER: Okay. The president-elect answered: We are finishing our diagnosis right now, so we’re not quite sure of all the figures and absolutely all the details. What I can tell you this is the most important thing we need to deal with right now. So far, the count is that there are over 730 people who have died, more or less. That number may continue to grow, unfortunately, because a number of people are still missing. We know that there are people who are caught under the rubble. And so we will continue to work on this. This is probably the worst and the most – the saddest thing that we’re dealing with right now. We know this effort is going to entail an enormous investment. Figures right now are in the area of $30 billion. We’re not sure of that, but that’s more or less in the area of 16 percent of this country’s GNP. Therefore, an amendment will have to be made to our plan, because we are going to have to factor in one very important element, and that is the phase of reconstruction. How are we going to carry this out? Well, luckily, Chile’s financial situation is extremely solid. We have fruitful resources – financial resources and human resources that will allow us to do much. We will also be given a helping hand by the international community, which has already shown its solidarity. You’ve seen it at this very airport. President Lula came to visit us, the Secretary of State is here with us today, and the president of Peru is going to be visiting us shortly. This is a demonstration of the efforts at reconstruction that have already begun and that we are already being helped with. SECRETARY CLINTON: As to the second question, Chile and the United States share common values: a great belief in democracy, a respect for private property and free markets, a commitment to free expression and independent media, and so much else. And we will stand strongly on behalf of those values in our hemisphere and around the world. QUESTION: (In Spanish.) PRESIDENT-ELECT PINERA: (In Spanish.) INTERPRETER: The question had to do with – the question was for the president-elect. What do you think of the decisions of the government? Do you think that they should’ve used more military? Do you think that greater power should have been exercised in that sense? The response is: There has been an enormous wave of vandalism, looting, crime in the cities of Concepcion and Talcahuano. This is absolutely unacceptable. It simply worsens the already catastrophic situation we’re in. I hope that the government will be using all the tools necessary in order to combat crime and to restore order. If more troops – if more people are needed, they should be used. Fighting crime is a priority of our administration. And I want to say something with regards to the figures I gave a little while ago. We will not change the figures we gave for expecting 6 percent in growth and 200,000 additional jobs. Those figures remain. And perhaps the phase of reconstruction can help to accelerate our growth and increase the number of jobs that we have. But in any catastrophe, the first things you need to worry about are maintaining public order and providing the basic needs of the people in terms of water, power, et cetera. This is not the time to evaluate the performance of the government. This is not the time to cast blame or say that anything has been done wrong. This is the time to provide solutions, and evaluations can come later. QUESTION: (In Spanish.) INTERPRETER: A question for Secretary of State Clinton: If the Government of Chile requires it, would the United States be willing to send troops to Chile? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we have said we will offer any help, but that has never been mentioned. Certain equipment has certainly been requested, which we will attempt to provide. But I have great confidence in Chile’s ability to manage its security needs. We want to be helpful where they have gaps, and that’s what we will try to fill.
3 March 2010
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Article
U.S., Brazil Fact Sheet on Cooperation for Advancement of Women
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 FACT SHEET Secretary Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorin Announce Increased Cooperation for Advancement of Women Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim today signed a “Memorandum of Understanding for the Advancement of Women” that will strengthen bilateral cooperation between the United States and Brazil as we work to promote the full participation of women in society. The Memorandum of Understanding will promote increased cooperation in areas including eliminating violence against women, combating trafficking of women and children, promoting the participation of women in decision-making processes, and promoting equality in the workplace, economic opportunity, and improved livelihoods for women. Programs may include joint training sessions and seminars, campaigns to raise awareness, exchange programs, partnerships with the private sector, and cooperation programs with third countries. Programs may include joint training sessions and seminars, campaigns to raise awareness, exchange programs, partnerships with the private sector, and cooperation programs with third countries.
3 March 2010
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Article
Clinton, Brazilian Foreign Minister on Development Cooperation
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 FACT SHEET Secretary Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim Announce Trilateral Development Cooperation Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim today signed a “Memorandum of Understanding for the Implementation of Technical Cooperation Activities in Third Countries,” in Brasilia, Brazil. The United States and Brazil have a long history of partnership in delivering development assistance to maximize resources to fight poverty. Building upon these successful collaborations, this Memorandum of Understanding highlights the increased interest Brazil and the United States have in expanding work together to foster economic development, improve health care and increase social inclusion in countries that face the greatest poverty challenges, particularly in Africa and Latin America. This Memorandum of Understanding is intended to guide the United States and Brazil in jointly selecting countries to promote economic and social advances in the sectors which can benefit from such cooperation. Possible activities include supporting the recipient country in sector-specific studies and policy reviews, provision of technical assistance, and training of technical specialists from third countries in the United States and Brazil. The lead agencies for development and implementation of these projects are United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC-Agência Brasileira de Cooperação) of the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations.
3 March 2010
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Article
Clinton, Brazilian FM Amorim on Cooperation on Climate Change
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 FACT SHEET Secretary Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim Announce Increased Cooperation on Climate Change Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim today signed a “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation Regarding Climate Change” that will strengthen bilateral cooperation between the United States and Brazil as we work to meet the global climate and clean energy challenge. This Memorandum of Understanding launches a new “Climate Change Policy Dialogue” to discuss key issues, including: • The implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and ways to build on the Copenhagen Accord as quickly as possible; • Strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; • Joint efforts on research, development, deployment and dissemination of clean energy technologies; • Adaptation; • Cooperation on climate change scientific research; and • Capacity-building in sectors related to climate change. The Memorandum of Understanding will also promote increased cooperation in areas including reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, capacity-building, and technology, while underscoring our commitment to the work already underway on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and carbon capture and storage.
3 March 2010
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Article
Remarks by Secretary Clinton, Chilean President-Elect Pinera
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 2, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton And Chilean President-elect Sebastian Pinera March 2, 2010 Santiago Airport Santiago, Chile SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you very much. I just had the privilege and opportunity of a long conversation with President-elect Pinera about the immediate crisis of the earthquake and about a number of important issues that we will be working on together upon his becoming president next week. Chile and the United States have a very close bilateral relationship. We have explored a number of the important matters that are on our agendas together, but we also have regional and international responsibilities. Chile is a member of the G-20. President-elect Pinera will be coming to Washington for President Obama’s nuclear security summit. There are a number of critical issues that we must work on together. I reiterated our strong support as Chile recovers from the earthquake. And President-elect Pinera mentioned specific needs that Chile will have for reconstruction, and we’ve offered assistance in that phase as well. Well, the president-elect informed me that Chile is not a member of the G-20, but the G-20 will be working to help Chile as long – as well as other international financial institutions. And certainly with the president-elect’s background in business, he will be a very important voice in all of the multilateral discussions about the economy going forward. President-elect, on behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, we stand with you. We look forward to working with you, and congratulations upon your inauguration next week. PRESIDENT-ELECT PINERA: (Via interpreter) I want to very much thank Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her visit and also for the willingness that she has indicated to cooperate with Chile so that we can not only deal with the current emergency but also work towards the plan for reconstruction that Chile needs to carry out with a sense of a unity and solidarity. The meeting with Secretary Clinton was a long one. It was a deep meeting, it was a fertile meeting, and I think that we have covered not only many bilateral issues as well as the issues Chile is facing now during the emergency and its phase of reconstruction, but also many multilateral issues of interest to us both. We share with the United States a number of values – freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, a sense of cooperation – and above all, we share the same ideas with regards to challenges of the 21st century. And so we posed to her and we represented to her our willingness to continue to cooperate, but even more closely than before, on strengthening democracy, protecting human rights. We also asked Secretary Clinton for cooperation from the United States with regard to technology, because if the United States can provide us with very good information on renewable energy, environmentally friendly energy, technology necessary to provide housing – temporary housing, to provide prefabricated housing quickly, this is going to help, particularly in the cases of 500,000 people who have been left without shelter as a result of the earthquake; also in terms of renovation and also issues of entrepreneurship, because Chile is now at a time in its history where it needs to make a leap forward. Our hope for Chile is that it will be the first country of Latin America to beat underdevelopment, to beat poverty. And we hope to do so while we strengthen democracy and work towards peace. And finally, I asked the Secretary of State to please extend our invitation to President Obama so that he will visit Chile in the near future. And I also assured her of my attendance at the nuclear security summit in Washington, D.C. in April. I also hope that I will have the opportunity to have many more meetings with Secretary Clinton so that we can further the ties that join our two countries, so that we can work towards the achievement that our people require. And I want to thank you, Secretary, so much for being here today. I hope that our fertile bilateral relationship leads to many good things for our two nations. Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much. QUESTION: A question, Madam Secretary. Hi, Madam Secretary. I’m over here. SECRETARY CLINTON: Sorry. Oh, there you are. (Laughter.) QUESTION: Hi, Mr. President-elect. I have a question for you, whether you believe that you’re satisfied with the response of the government to the earthquake. Do you believe, for example, that they should have deployed the military within the 24-hour period? That could have, perhaps, avoided some of the looting that we’re seeing in the most affected areas. And for the Secretary: We know that you like to get out in person and see these situations for yourself. Do you feel a little disappointed that you weren’t able to in this case? And you also went to Haiti after that quake. Can you just to explain to our viewers and readers at home the differences you see and the reaction to the situation? Thank you. PRESIDENT-ELECT PINERA: (Via interpreter) When you go through a catastrophe as massive as the one that Chile has suffered, let’s remember that this was not just a large earthquake. It’s one of the greatest, most powerful earthquakes that have ever been recorded. Over 75 percent of Chile’s population was affected by it. There are basic priorities that need to be dealt with immediately. Those are to maintain public order and safety, to provide the basics needs to the people, such as water, power. If the armed forces can help in this initiative, they should be used. They can provide technology and logistics, the staff necessary to get many of these jobs done. And therefore, I applaud the Government of Chile for having established a state of catastrophe that made it possible for them to make use of the armed forces in this situation. My team is currently studying what it is we are going to do when we take office so that possibly we will be extending this state of catastrophe to continue dealing with the situation to provide water as quickly as possible, provide water – sorry, power as quickly as possible, and do this in a way that this emergency phase will come to a close quickly and we can begin with the work of reconstruction. SECRETARY CLINTON: I have been visiting sites of disasters for more than 30 years, as a first lady in Arkansas, as a first lady of the United States, as a senator from New York, and now as Secretary of State. And it is very clear to me that Chile is much better prepared, much quicker to respond, more able to do so. The leadership that President Bachelet and President-elect Pinera are providing to make sure that they work together in order to keep the recovery and relief efforts going seamlessly is exactly what one would expect. There is no doubt in my mind as we stand here at an airport that thankfully is functioning and relief flights are coming in, that Chile is prepared, is dealing with this massive disaster and will be on the road to an even better recovery in the future. QUESTION: President-elect Pinera, buenos tardes. We’d like to know how you plan to pay for the reconstruction efforts, which are going to be considerable, what you estimate they’re going to cost. And also, how does this affect your economic plan of 6 percent growth and 200,000 jobs created in your first year in office? And for Madam Secretary, we just wanted to ask you whether you think that president-elect’s attitude toward Venezuela and Cuba will be helpful or a hindrance to the relations between the U.S. and those countries, and Chile and those countries. Thank you. INTERPRETER: Dos preguntas, primero para El President-electo Pinera – sorry. (Laughter.) President-elect, how do you plan to pay for the reconstruction efforts that are going to have to be carried out, and how do you plan to reconcile those with your platform for 6 percent growth for the nation and 200,000 more jobs? And for Secretary Clinton, the question was -- SECRETARY CLINTON: No, just his answer is sufficient. INTERPRETER: Okay. The president-elect answered: We are finishing our diagnosis right now, so we’re not quite sure of all the figures and absolutely all the details. What I can tell you this is the most important thing we need to deal with right now. So far, the count is that there are over 730 people who have died, more or less. That number may continue to grow, unfortunately, because a number of people are still missing. We know that there are people who are caught under the rubble. And so we will continue to work on this. This is probably the worst and the most – the saddest thing that we’re dealing with right now. We know this effort is going to entail an enormous investment. Figures right now are in the area of $30 billion. We’re not sure of that, but that’s more or less in the area of 16 percent of this country’s GNP. Therefore, an amendment will have to be made to our plan, because we are going to have to factor in one very important element, and that is the phase of reconstruction. How are we going to carry this out? Well, luckily, Chile’s financial situation is extremely solid. We have fruitful resources – financial resources and human resources that will allow us to do much. We will also be given a helping hand by the international community, which has already shown its solidarity. You’ve seen it at this very airport. President Lula came to visit us, the Secretary of State is here with us today, and the president of Peru is going to be visiting us shortly. This is a demonstration of the efforts at reconstruction that have already begun and that we are already being helped with. SECRETARY CLINTON: As to the second question, Chile and the United States share common values: a great belief in democracy, a respect for private property and free markets, a commitment to free expression and independent media, and so much else. And we will stand strongly on behalf of those values in our hemisphere and around the world. QUESTION: (In Spanish.) PRESIDENT-ELECT PINERA: (In Spanish.) INTERPRETER: The question had to do with – the question was for the president-elect. What do you think of the decisions of the government? Do you think that they should’ve used more military? Do you think that greater power should have been exercised in that sense? The response is: There has been an enormous wave of vandalism, looting, crime in the cities of Concepcion and Talcahuano. This is absolutely unacceptable. It simply worsens the already catastrophic situation we’re in. I hope that the government will be using all the tools necessary in order to combat crime and to restore order. If more troops – if more people are needed, they should be used. Fighting crime is a priority of our administration. And I want to say something with regards to the figures I gave a little while ago. We will not change the figures we gave for expecting 6 percent in growth and 200,000 additional jobs. Those figures remain. And perhaps the phase of reconstruction can help to accelerate our growth and increase the number of jobs that we have. But in any catastrophe, the first things you need to worry about are maintaining public order and providing the basic needs of the people in terms of water, power, et cetera. This is not the time to evaluate the performance of the government. This is not the time to cast blame or say that anything has been done wrong. This is the time to provide solutions, and evaluations can come later. QUESTION: (In Spanish.) INTERPRETER: A question for Secretary of State Clinton: If the Government of Chile requires it, would the United States be willing to send troops to Chile? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we have said we will offer any help, but that has never been mentioned. Certain equipment has certainly been requested, which we will attempt to provide. But I have great confidence in Chile’s ability to manage its security needs. We want to be helpful where they have gaps, and that’s what we will try to fill.
3 March 2010
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Article
Earthquake in Chile
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE RESOURCES Articles United States Meeting Chilean Earthquake Aid Requests Secretary Clinton Delivering Communications Equipment to Chile U.S. Stands with Chile in Wake of Devastating Quake Texts and Transcripts Remarks by Secretary Clinton, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Ambassador Simons on Current Developments in Chile President Obama on Earthquake in Chile Secretary Clinton on Earthquake in Chile Obama’s Call to President Bachelet of Chile on the Earthquake Information on the Chilean Earthquake and Tsunami Warnings (from White House) 2010 Earthquake in Chile (from U.S. Department of State) SPANISH-LANGUAGE RESOURCES Articles Clinton lleva equipos de comunicación para ayudar a Chile en tareas de rescate y recuperación Estados Unidos se solidariza con Chile y ofrece su ayuda luego del terremoto Texts and Transcripts Declaraciones del presidente Obama sobre el terremoto en Chile Secretaria Clinton afirma que EE.UU. está dispuesto a ayudar a Chile
3 March 2010
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Article
Secretary Clinton’s Town Hall Meeting with University Students
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Town Hall with Brazil’s Globo Network March 3, 2010 Zumbi dos Palmares University Sao Paulo, Brazil QUESTION: Madam State Secretary, I arrived recently from Tehran, where I interviewed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And he was really happy with what he described support from the Brazilian Government. My question is, are you happy, too? SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Well, first let me say how happy – is this working? Can you hear me? How happy I am to be here at this university. I am delighted to be at the first Afro Brazilian university. It is very similar to our historically black colleges and universities, so I feel very much at home. And I want to congratulate the rector and everyone who has created this opportunity for higher education for the students here. It’s wonderful to be here with William and Maria for this conversation. And the first question is a challenging question. He’s an experienced journalist; he knows that. I had excellent meetings today in Brasilia with President Lula, with the Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, and others about the situation in Iran. And we share the same goal. The goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Both Brazil and the United States were like this. We absolutely agree. We are discussing the best way to achieve that goal. And we both believe that negotiations, diplomacy are always better than another approach, but sometimes you have to put more pressure on in order to get a sincere negotiation. So we are proceeding in the United Nations Security Council, working with many other countries who share our concerns, to create that pressure through greater sanctions that will get the attention of the Iranian Government. And the Brazilian Government is working also to achieve the goal, so we will continue talking about how we get to where we both want to end up. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. Madam Secretary, first of all, thank you so much for being here. I know all of us, but especially the students are delighted to welcome you this evening here. And my question is: In South American in general, but especially in Brazil, there is a certain feeling of dissatisfaction regarding this loneness with which the Obama Administration has been showing changes in American policy for Latin America. We expected a little bit more after Bush Administration. Can we assume that your visit is part of a long-awaited change for us? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first let me say I am so honored to be here on behalf of the United States and President Obama. We are still very excited by his election. And we believe that he has already changed many things about the way the world sees the United States. Change is never easy. You know, it’s not easy in a life. You wake up one day and you say, “I’m going to change. I’m going to get an education. I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to start exercising.” But then it takes time to actually realize the change. And I think that because of the excitement that President Obama generated all over the world, and particularly in Latin America, people might have forgotten that change is hard. If it were easy, anybody could do it. But he is committed to changing the relationship between the United States and Latin America, and so am I. And we are working on many common matters. Today in Brasilia, we signed memoranda between the United States and Brazil on how to improve gender equality, so that girls and women are given the same opportunities as boys and men. We talked about how to work together on climate change. These are all significant historical problems that take time. But I think that most people are understanding of that. We all get impatient. We wish it would happen yesterday. But I think that as I have been here in Brazil and I was before in Uruguay and Argentina and Chile, the terrible earthquake there, people believe in President Obama and his vision for the relationship that we’re building together. MR. WAACK: Okay. Let’s take the first question from the floor. MS. BELTRAO: We don’t see where the mike is. Here? QUESTION: First of all, good night, Hillary. SECRETARY CLINTON: Hello. QUESTION: And welcome to Sao Paulo. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. QUESTION: I am (inaudible) and I’m (inaudible) and we are a social project where anyone can come no matter your social class and (inaudible) one more about Brazilian culture, so we have dance classes, we have percussion classes, we have (inaudible), we have English and a lot of classes. So there I learned that if I studied and if I dedicated myself, I can do anything. So my question, like a student, is how a person that wants to study in the United States can do if we have to leave there and pay the college? It’s possible the uprooted student works in the United States or by some law in America, this is not possible. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first of all, let me congratulate you for your strong conviction that you can do whatever you want to do. QUESTION: Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: And your understanding that education is the key to being able to do that. That’s what this university stands for. We want to increase educational exchanges between the United States and Brazil. I would like to see thousands of Brazilian students coming to the United States every year and thousands of students from the United States coming to Brazil every year. And we’re looking for ways to do that. I just met with a group of Brazilian business leaders who had American companies based in Brazil, companies like Microsoft and Ford and Motorola, very famous companies. They are working together to help more students in Brazil learn English. And in fact, I told the rector that they told me tonight that they are going to sponsor 15 scholarships for students here at Zumbi University to learn English. So we want to do more of that. And we will be working together to give you more opportunities. And if you personally will come to – this is our Ambassador right here. There’s Ambassador Shannon in the front row. If you will find him after, he will make sure you get information about all of the programs and the scholarships you can apply for, because there are probably many more than you know right now that you might be eligible for. And we’re going to have, I hope, even more in the future. QUESTION: Okay, thank you. And I want to invite you to know our project (inaudible) any time you want. Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. MR. WAACK: (Inaudible.) There is a question from the internet which relates very much with what was asked right now about the visa requirements for Brazilian citizens who wish to enter the U.S. soil. We Brazilians are hardworking people in the United States. We need to have an immigration reform in your country. The question is: Does the United States see us, Brazilians, as a threat? SECRETARY CLINTON: No – (laughter) – not at all. I live on a street in Washington just about six houses away from the Brazilian ambassador’s residence, and what used to be the visa office for the Brazilian Embassy. So every day I would drive by dozens and dozens of Brazilians in America going in to get their visas renewed or to get them verified. We want more exchanges between Brazil and the United States. We want more Brazilians coming to study and visit and work and we wanted more Americans to come to Brazil. Now, there are two big reasons why Americans will come to Brazil in the next few years: the World Cup and the Olympics. So we want to make it easier. And one of our problems which I learned about yesterday was that we only have a few places. We only have – we have the Embassy in Brasilia and then we only have three consulates in Sao Paulo and Rio and Recife, and that makes it very hard in a country as big as Brazil for people to get visas. So the ambassador and I are working on ways to make it easier, because we really do want to increase the exchanges between our two countries. I believe that Brazil and the United States are the two countries more alike than any two countries in the world. MS. BELTRAO: Why is that so? SECRETARY CLINTON: Because we are big – MS. BELTRAO: Oh, yeah. (Laughter.) SECRETARY CLINTON: -- we are pluralistic. We are dynamic. We’re mostly happy. MS. BELTRAO: Mostly. SECRETARY CLINTON: We are two countries that have so much in common and I want to bring us closer together. MS. BELTRAO: Wonderful. QUESTION: (In Portuguese.) SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s such a very important question, and I think every country has to ask itself what are we doing to preserve what we inherited for the next generation? We had nothing to do in creating the beauty that is around us. I mean, Brazil is such a beautiful country. I think my country is a beautiful country. And more than 140 years ago, American leaders began creating national parks to preserve some of the beauty from development, so you mentioned Yellowstone. There are many others, like Yosemite. There are so many across our nation. That was a very important step. And I think every country should look at its patrimony, its physical patrimony, and determine how it can save some of it in its natural state. Then we all have to be more careful in how we use the earth. We’ve learned too much. What was acceptable a hundred years ago, because we didn’t know any better, no longer is acceptable. So we should be much more thoughtful as we extract raw materials from the earth as we plow it up, as we pollute the air or the water. It’s going to be one of the most important challenges for every country and every citizen in this century. And the final thing I would say is nature is so powerful. We have seen two examples of that in our own hemisphere in the last months – first in Haiti, now in Chile. And we don’t know all of the connections between what humanity does to the earth and what the earth then does, but we can see the scars. We can see the pollution in the rivers and the lakes that kill the fish. We can see the pollution in the air that gives children asthma, so we know we are doing things that are causing long-term damage. And part of our job now is how do we improve the standard of living, create jobs, raise incomes for people without destroying the very earth we inhabit. And that’s a question for all of us to ask. And my country is working hard on that. I know Brazil is as well, but we have lots to do. MR. WAACK: Madam State Secretary, we have a question from an extremely popular Brazilian actor. He is popular here (inaudible), which was prerecorded. MS. BELTRAO: Just a second. Just a second. QUESTION: (In Portuguese.) MS. BELTRAO: Good question. SECRETARY CLINTON: I am very proud of the progress that the United States has made in the last 50 years, through our civil rights movement, through the hard work and the sacrifice of leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others. We have changed the laws so that there are not visible legal barriers to African Americans achieving in education, and in professions and in business. So we have ended overt discrimination. I cannot sit here and tell you where we have ended racism. That I cannot say because that is not true. Just like I can’t sit here and say we’ve ended sexism or other forms of discrimination. They still exist in our country, as they do around the world. But the United States has made so much progress and affirmative action played a big part in that. There are those who criticize affirmative action, but I believe that it helped to overcome the vestiges of slavery and segregation, and it was an important phase for our country to go through. Now it is not used as much because there is a feeling that there’s more equality. But I still believe we have to focus on poor children – black, white, brown, whatever background – who too often are born into circumstances where the deck is stacked against them, and they still need more assistance with education and health and the basic building blocks of a successful life. But the election of Barack Obama, many believe was the greatest accomplishment of all because it demonstrated that an African American could be elected President of the United States. And look, I ran against him and ran very hard against him, and he won fair and square. So I think it was a great tribute to the American people and the American system, and I hope that similarly in Brazil and other countries, that same kind of progress can occur. MS. BELTRAO: If I may, you said sexism still exists. Since International Women’s Day is upon us on March the 8th, and we have many examples of women in top government here in Latin America. You were with Michelle Bachelet. You were with Cristina Kirchner. And your career is an example, I think, for many women here. I’d like just a brief response about what are the advantages or disadvantages of being a woman in politics today? SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that Latin America has a number of examples of women coming to the top of the political system, and I know that a woman will be running here in Brazil for president as well. QUESTION: Two. SECRETARY CLINTON: Two women. QUESTION: Two women. SECRETARY CLINTON: So I think that is a very good sign of what is possible. But there are still a lot of barriers to women’s participation, some of them more psychological, some of them more cultural and historical. But again, we’ve seen a lot of progress but we still have to make sure that we stand against domestic violence, because it cannot be tolerated anywhere, anytime; that we make sure that schools and healthcare is open to girls as well as to boys. This is not as big a problem in our hemisphere as it is in other places in the world, but we still have work to do. QUESTION: (Via translator.) A very good evening, very nice, Secretary Hillary. I am a professor of (inaudible) law here. And I’m also a doctor in law here. Our dean explained very well what is happening in our supreme court here, the discussion about affirmative action, about quotas – racial quotas. What would you make as a technical recommendation to the supreme court so that the supreme court would be totally impartial in its discussion about racial quotas for universities? SECRETARY CLINTON: I do not know the details, the details of the case before your supreme court. But I know some statistics that are very significant, in my view. A statistic I was told today is that the Afro Brazilian population is slightly more than 50 percent of the country, but only two percent of the students in higher education in Brazil are Afro Brazilians. So that suggests to me that some special steps need to be taken to recruiting and admitting students so that they can have a chance to succeed. Affirmative action in our country was an opportunity to get in the door, not a guarantee that you would get the degree. I taught in a law school, and I taught students who had been admitted under affirmative action – African American students. And the students I taught were extremely motivated and very ambitious, but their educational training prior to law school often had not been good enough to prepare them to compete. So I spent a lot of time with my African American students, a lot of tutoring time, a lot of effort to help them be successful. And many of them succeeded, but not all of them. But I think what affirmative action should be is a recognition that historical barriers have shrunk the pipeline. Not very many people can get through it. So it needs to be opened up. And the education system is the passport to opportunity, so let more people into that. Give people a chance. I think that talent is universal, but opportunity isn’t. So the more you can universalize opportunity in a society as dynamic as Brazil, the more people will rise and the more the meritocracy will work. And in my discussion earlier this evening with the heads of these American companies based in Brazil, and they are Brazilians themselves, the point they made is that with the Brazilian economy growing, often the only thing holding it back is having enough qualified students who are engineers, who do IT, who can do the jobs of today and tomorrow. So the education system needs to expand affirmatively to get more people in. And then the final thing I would say, what I learned when I was a law professor is that it’s not fair just to admit students and then stand by and watch them fail. There have to be programs to help them succeed, because so many of them come with problems from the past. And so admitting on an affirmative action basis and then working to create as many success stories as possible is what I hope you will see happen. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Madam Secretary, good evening. I am Leonardo, and I would like to ask a question about subsidies to products. The U.S. is a developed country. Therefore, couldn’t it be a little more flexible when it comes to negotiating subsidies to certain products? Because if it did so, that would help developing countries. And that would help these countries develop on the social area, it would help these countries organize better, produce better, it would help these countries strengthen their economies. So both sides would gain if the U.S. was more flexible in subsidy negotiations. Did you complete your question? It’s a good question. Both – I got lost, says the questioner. So both countries, in this case, would – it would be a win-win situation. The U.S. on one hand would be the strongest partner, who in that case – maybe I would consider this question concluded. Okay. You have the question. SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that the point you make is an important one for all countries. I believe that there has to be more trade and open markets, but it’s also true that every country has their own political concerns. And so the United States is a very open market, probably, in my view, the most open in the world. But there are certain sectors within our economy that people are still trying to protect from global competition. And as in any country with a democracy, there’s political pressures. So we’re going to continue to do what we can to open our markets, and we’re going to ask other countries to open their markets. We’re going to take special action, like we have in Haiti, where textiles can come from Haiti totally duty free because we want to build up Haiti, which is such a poor country. And we’re going to negotiate with other countries like Brazil to create more openness. So your general point is a fair one, but as with so much, there’s political dimensions. And we have to negotiate, we have to trade, we have to work out how best to do it, but we’re in the midst of trying to do more of that with Brazil and other countries. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, just as recently as last week, a big number of Latin American and Caribbean countries, they have a new club. SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter). Yeah. QUESTION: Excluding you and the (inaudible). How do you understand that move? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that there’s a need for countries to come together in different formations. We have a North American club that consists of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. We have bilateral relationships and trilateral relationships with all kinds of countries. The United States doesn’t see any of that as unfortunate or threatening. We view better coordination and cooperation among countries as a plus. We have so much work to do in this hemisphere, that the more we can cooperate, that we can put past grievances behind us, that we can look for ways to solve problems together – for example, Haiti, every single country in the hemisphere, even the poorest ones have contributed something. So when countries come together and say we want to do more and cooperate more, the United States is for that. QUESTION: (Via interpreter). Good evening, Madam Secretary. Good evening to the journalists. Good evening, everyone. I am (inaudible). Unfortunately, I’m not a student here at Zumbi. I’m a lawyer, however. And not long ago, up to – not long ago, I was chairman of the non-discriminatory commission of the bar association of Brazil. Many of the questions I had to ask were answered, so I’ll ask something else. President Obama, in view of the crisis, has been working in a different way, compared to what the U.S. is to do before. So President Obama almost nationalized some businesses – almost, I said, of course. We know that American business do their business in the Unites States according to certain policies. So why wouldn’t we do it in such ways so that U.S. – oh, we know that in the U.S. businesses and corporations sometimes carry out public business policies, I mean, to promote better social conditions and racial conditions. Why not ask those companies -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that’s why I was very excited to meet some of the American companies here in Brazil who are doing exactly that. They are exercising what’s called corporate social responsibility. And that is an important part of the American business ethic. Most American businesses give back to their communities, they contribute to good causes, they support colleges and universities, hospitals, arts programs. And the American businesses here in Brazil, about 104 of them, have joined together to do that in Brazil. And I hope it’s contagious, because the more businesses can be in what we call public-private partnerships, the more people can be helped. Government can’t do everything. Business’s primary job is to make a profit through employing people and investing. But government and business working together can support a university like this, can look for other ways to help individuals and institutions do better. So you make a very good point that I’m very proud of American businesses that are corporate social responsible citizens, and I think we have to see more of that from the private sector because the public and private sector need each other. The private sector employs the students who graduate from the school systems, so they need a strong governmental commitment to education. The government can’t run unless business is successful and people are paying taxes and contributing to the well-being of the government. So public and private have to work together for the good of a country. And I think we’re seeing more of that in Brazil, and I’m very proud of the American businesses that are contributing to it. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) I am (inaudible), and I coordinate the law school of this university. Recently, the President – the President Barack Obama, mentioned Lula as a guy, a nice guy. And I would like to say that you, for being so nice to having accepted this, I would like to say that you are our guy, too. (Applause.) I would like to say that your participation here would be very, very important if we can convince the great American investors, as Professor (inaudible) says, if they could invest more and more in Brazil but if – with the clause that would demand that these corporations also invest in affirmative policies here. You look here, you can see that we have a very diverse nation here. However, opportunities are not the same for all of us here. Maybe your presence here will create a true revolution in the way that we will reach this opportunity and we will really conquer it. Thank you so much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you for those very kind words – (laughter) – and I am honored to be an honorary guy. (Laughter.) And I think your wish is one that I hope is fulfilled. Brazil is a global nation. Globalization has come to Brazil and Brazil has become a major player on the global stage. What the United States has found is that we have to invest in all of our people if we’re going to continue to be successful. And Brazil is exactly the same. So this university is a tangible example of that kind of investment. And I agree with you, perhaps my being here will bring this example to more people and more Brazilians will be very proud of this university, but also look close to home to see what more can be done in every part of the country to provide opportunity to all Brazilians. MR. WAACK: State Secretary, this is a question from the internet which, again, relates to what you just said about Brazil being a global player. Does it mean that Brazil will have to support to you in the Security Council, playing like the big guys do? SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Well, I think Brazil is a global player with an independent mind, just as the United States is. I mean, every country has to make a judgment about what is in their core interest, their security interest, their economic and political interest. And we work with Brazil on many, many issues. In the Security Council, where there will be a number of difficult problems, the most important in my opinion will be what we do about Iran – the first question, you asked me, William. And we are hoping to get enough support in the Security Council to send a unified message to Iran that they are perfectly free to have peaceful, civil nuclear power. But they are not, under the very agreements that they signed, entitled to a nuclear weapons program. And if Iran continues to move toward a nuclear weapons program, that will send a ripple through the Gulf, and the Arab nations there will think, well, if Iran has nuclear weapons, we’d better have nuclear weapons. And then Israel will think if Iran keeps saying that it wants to destroy us and it has nuclear weapons, we’d better do something about that. We want to avoid all of that. And we think the best way to avoid all of that is for the Security Council to vote for new sanctions on Iran to get their attention to change their behavior, and that’s what we are hoping to achieve and are working with many nations, including Brazil, to figure out the way forward. MS. BELTRAO: So you don’t see – I’m sorry, William – so you don’t see Brazil as a permanent member of the UN Security Council in the near future? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that – I hope there is UN reform and I hope there is reform in the Security Council. But that takes a lot of countries agreeing, and that is still in the formative stages. I would like to see it. The United States supports taking reforms in the United Nations, but there are a lot of countries with a lot of power that do not. So we have to, again, work – MS. BELTRAO: Adjust. SECRETARY CLINTON: -- to get them to agree. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. QUESTION: Good evening. My name is Tamezra. I’m an international relation student, and I have two questions. One of them is really quick and I will let it to the end. But first, I’d like to know your opinion regarding the Venezuela and United States relation, considering that there is a big difference between the political and economic context in this relationship. And my second question is regarding this book, Living History (inaudible) you wrote two years ago. I’d like to know if you could sign it to me before you go – (laughter) – and, if you don’t mind. It would mean a lot to me. MR. WAACK: She is smart. SECRETARY CLINTON: The second question’s very easy. Of course, I will sign it before I go. (Laughter.) QUESTION: Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: And anyone else who brought a copy, I’d be happy to. The first question, the United States would very much like to have a positive relationship with Venezuela. I’m sure some of you remember when President Obama went to the Summit of the Americas, he shook hands with Hugo Chavez. He exchanged words with him. He was reaching out to President Chavez. But there are many, many things which concern us about what is happening in Venezuela today. When I was in Brasilia and here today in this university setting, I see the free press that Brazil has. I saw it in very active participation in Brasilia where there were so many cameras and so many different reporters there. President Chavez is trying to stifle the press in Venezuela. If you say anything negative about him, he tries to shut you down. That is not the way a democracy operates. He is taking over companies and taking their assets and, unfortunately now, we see the results of those economic policies. There are electricity shortages in Venezuela, a country with oil. It makes no sense. So we wish for a better future for the people of Venezuela. We wish that their government would govern more in the interests of all of the people. We also wish that there would be less rhetoric and threats coming from Venezuela. But that is not our choice; that is their choice. And I can only repeat here what President Obama and I have said on many occasions: We want to have a positive relationship, but it’s difficult under the current circumstances. QUESTION: Very short, Madam State Secretary -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. QUESTION: President Obama is reaching everywhere, to the Muslim countries, to Iran, China, Chavez. It’s not working. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I don’t agree with that. I think that it’s working in many, many places, but it’s also exposing those governments and leaders who have a different agenda. When President Obama said on his inaugural day that the United States would reach out a hand to every country but they would have to unclench their fist, he meant it, and he has followed through. He has been very sincere. So what have we seen? We’ve seen great excitement and openness to this new approach in many parts of the world. President Obama is very popular in Latin America because I think the people see a person who wants to do right and who is working hard to achieve that. But there are leaders in countries who just want to rule the way they choose. They don’t want to make their people freer, they don’t want to take away special privileges from the elite and share it with the people, they don’t want to change. So I think we’ve exposed a lot. Many people said, well, the reason Iran hasn’t responded is because they didn’t like the former president. So President Obama said let’s change, let’s talk. There’s nothing coming back. So I think that this has been a very good policy both to show President Obama’s commitment, but also to reveal those who have a different agenda. MS. BELTRAO: We are – sorry – we are facing a presidential election in Brazil this year -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. MS. BELTRAO: -- so you were talking about concerns and leaders. Are there any issues in Brazilian politics or agenda that might be a concern for United States with the next president? SECRETARY CLINTON: No, no, because we have confidence in Brazil’s democracy. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. SECRETARY CLINTON: This is a vital, dynamic democracy. We think that the election will be exciting. I’ll follow it from the United States. And we believe that whoever is the next president will have a good relationship with the United States and we’ll continue to continue to work together. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Good evening, Madam Secretary. I’m Luciano. I’m a law student here in Zumbi and I also take care of teenagers that are in trouble. I wanted to ask you what is the policy in the United States to defend children, teenagers, and traffic in persons in the United States? What are the U.S. doing against that? And what is the U.S. doing about – we talked so much about not building bombs in the U.S., but how does President Obama react to what President Bush did in Iraq? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, let me thank you for helping teenagers. There are so many children and teenagers that need help. They don’t have perhaps families that care for them. They are in difficult circumstances, so thank you. And we in the United States are very committed to working against trafficking. This is a personal issue that I’ve worked on for many years. We have very strong laws against trafficking. We prosecute traffickers. We try to break up the rings that smuggle people across our borders. And we also put out a report every year that grades every country on how well the countries are doing, including ourselves this year. And we see some very positive trends. More and more countries are taking the trafficking of people, particularly children, seriously. They’ve got laws. They’re enforcing the laws. But some countries are still not willing to admit they have a problem, so we have to continue to work on this. But trafficking in human beings is modern day slavery. It should be condemned by everyone. Police should break up these rings and rescue people who’ve been trafficked into sexual slavery or into bonded labor. Prosecutors and judges should be very harsh on the traffickers. There should be programs to rehabilitate the people who have been abused by the traffickers. And I hope that we’ll see a groundswell of support for tougher programs against the traffickers. As to your second question, I think you know that President Obama is very different, has a very different approach to the world, and I believe that that’s one of the reasons he’s so popular around the world. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Good evening, Madam Secretary, Marcos Leone. I studied terrestrial transportation here at this university. In Brazil, we have many roads. We have economic blocs here. We have Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, other countries as well as you have NAFTA in the north. And we, during this economic crisis, many economic blocs suffered. Suffered economic, suffered in terms of wages. What did the U.S. do in terms of transportation to face the crisis? Passenger crisis, passenger transportation as well as merchandise transportation. We changed the way we transported people and freight here in Brazil, and I think we should do a lot of reform in terms of transportation in order to be ready to fight against any possible upcoming economic crisis. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I agree, because I was late today, since there was an accident on the highway. MR. WAACK: No, it’s normal. SECRETARY CLINTON: It’s normal. MS. BELTRAO: Routine. SECRETARY CLINTON: So I’m all for better transportation in Brazil and in the United States as well. What we’ve done, because it’s a very good question – what we’ve done this past year in the Obama Administration is invest in more roads, invest in high-speed rail, invest in trying to upgrade subways and other passenger transportation. When President Obama submitted his stimulus bill to the Congress, a lot of the money in that went for transportation improvements, maintenance, and new forms of transportation. I don’t know how many hours a week people in Brazil lose to transportation holdups, but probably the average American loses a whole year in the course of his or her life, sitting in traffic, stopping in traffic, being delayed at airports that are clogged up, trains that are not running on time, all of the problems. So this is an issue for every country. And in the 21st century, it’s going to get even worse unless we plan ahead. So our country is trying to do that under President Obama’s leadership, and I think all of us are going to have to face up to the fact that we have to be more efficient in moving people and goods if we’re going to keep growing economically and realize the benefits of that growth. MR. WAACK: We have two minutes. (In Portugese.) QUESTION: (Via interpreter). Good night. My name is Medina. I’m a law student from (inaudible). And I also had a great opportunity to go to the United States as a U.S. (inaudible) scholarship holder, and I’m very grateful for that opportunity. I’m not sure if you are aware that the right of abortion does not exist in Brazil, not only its legal as it – also it’s a crime. And many, like, thousands of Brazilian women die every year from illegal abortions, making it the first cause of pregnant women death in this country. The right of abortion is also not accessible to all American women. What are the steps, what are the initiatives now throughout Obama’s term to make it – to change this situation in the United States? Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, President Obama and I believe in a woman’s right to choose. And President Obama has reversed policies from the prior administration that prevented women from making an informed decision. And he has also reversed what’s called the gag rule with respect to information going from aid programs to women around the world. And he’s also invested greatly in family planning services so that all women have a chance to exercise their own rights. This is an issue that I think is a social equity and social justice issue because wealthy women have rights in every country and poor women don’t. And I’ve written about this in my book, It Takes A Village. I visited a hospital here in Brazil back in the 1990s, and I’ll never forget one of the doctors telling me that this hospital that I visited was a hospital that had the best of feelings and the worst of feelings. And I said, “Well, what do you mean?” He said, “Well, half the hospital are women having babies, and they are so excited. And half the hospital are women who are suffering from illegal abortions, and they are very sad.” I’ll never forget that. And so I know that in every country, this is a decision for the people of the country, but I think it is something that needs to be carefully thought about because of the great effect it has on the numbers of children that poor women have that they can’t educate, feed properly, care for, the great toll that illegal abortions take, and the denial of women being able to exercise such a fundamental personal right. So President Obama has taken steps since he became President to give the right of choice to women and to do what we can to help avoid women having to make that choice, through better planning and better information and education. MR. WAACK: Very last question: When is President Obama coming to Brazil? (Laughter.) SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I will tell him he is very much invited. I heard that from President Lula and hear it from you and I will convey that to him. He’s working very hard to try to get healthcare reform passed in the United States. And having been a senator, I understand how hard that is. And he’s going to keep working at it until he gets it done, and then maybe he’ll be able to take a break and I know he would love to come to Brazil. MS. BELRAO: Secretary, you have been a senator, a first lady, you had a prominent legal career, Secretary of State now. Which was the hardest job, be a mom, maybe? No. SECRETARY CLINTON: I think being a mom is. I think it’s the most important job I’ve ever had, and it’s the one that gives me the greatest joy. My daughter is getting married this summer and I’m excited about that. So I’ve been a very fortunate person. I feel that I had so many advantages. I had a family that supported me. I had parents who believed that girls were just as valuable and could be their own people just as boys were. I had great teachers in my school. I had so many advantages. So I’ve been very blessed, and I’m very grateful for that. And I get to serve a country that I love and I get to work with a President who I admire, and I think that it’s a very special time in history. So I can’t be – I can’t be complaining about anything other than how hard the work is. But that is something that I relish. So I think all of you for having me at this university. I wish this university such great success. By the quality of the questions, you have a wonderful faculty and excellent students, and I hope that there will be very great things coming from this university in the future. And thank you for doing this with me tonight. MS. BELTRAO: Thank you very much. MR. WAACK Hillary, thank you for the conversation.
3 March 2010
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Article
Remarks by Secretary Clinton, Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton And Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim March 3, 2010 Brasilia, Brazil MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Good afternoon. We’ll start now the press interview with Foreign Minister Amorim and the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Both ministers will say a few words to begin, and then we will go to questions from the press. Mr. Amorim. FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM: (Via interpreter) First of all, I’d like to once again convey my words of welcome, my earnest words of welcome, to the U.S. State – or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which she has by now been able to successfully test her approval rating in Brazil, given the vast crowd of photographers and media professionals everywhere she’s been, including this ministry so far. But it is indeed a great pleasure to have you here as Secretary. Obviously, the U.S. Secretary of State is always a high-profile figure. But I think it is also fair to say that Hillary Clinton is, in her own right, a largely admired person, one who has elicited a lot of attention and respect from many people, including, of course, those of us in Brazil. We have thus far sustained very important talks. We have also entered into three agreements, one focusing on cooperation regarding discrimination or different forms of discrimination and violence, particularly against women and young girls. We have also signed an agreement on fostering a strategic dialogue on climate matters, an area that both President Lula and President Obama have devoted a lot of efforts and time while in the recent Copenhagen conference. We have also signed a third agreement on trilateral cooperation. I was going to say something else, but I was going to the actual case. But of course, trilateral cooperation will encompass Haiti, Africa, and other related situations, or say, countries in Central America. By the way, we also talked about Central America in great detail and quite extensively. We also, of course, referred to some of the existing agreements between us, both trade agreements and other agreements that may evolve and mature at a bilateral level, and also a very important agreement that we have in place which can be further deepened that regards efforts to promote racial equality. That is certainly an area where we all can draw lessons, mutual lessons, from our nations’ experiences. Brazil has always been proud of being a racial equality but has perhaps neglected and turned a blind eye to some of the key (inaudible) have otherwise taken. The U.S. has perhaps suffered a little bit more and has therefore moved to put measures in place before Brazil. So the door is also open and always open for us to exchange views on racial equality, issues which I know are very dear to the Secretary of State herself. We also had a broad-ranging discussion on bilateral and global – multilateral and global issues, to include the Middle East, including Iran in that chapter. We also touched on issues pertaining to climate. We also, of course, focused on the relevant strategies to be pursued. We, of course, talked about regional issues, mainly Haiti, which – Haiti and Chile, of course, more recently, but of course, we did refer to Haiti because Haiti is the country in greatest need at this point in time, a country that has involved active involvements on the part of both of our nations. But of course, we also referred to matters of a more global scope, matters that are, say, more global in nature. I even told the Secretary of State that I would not risk my credibility with her by insisting on the importance of successfully completing the Doha round of negotiations, but I did at least, in passing, refer to the Doha round. So, roughly speaking, in very broad strokes, that’s what we covered. We had very candid discussions, very truth-based discussions, if you will, mutually so, and I feel very rewarded with the discussions and talks. Of course, the Secretary of State will now visit the president in the next few minutes, President Lula da Silva, so we need to, of course, abide by the time that has been allotted to our Q&A and interview. Thank you very much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Foreign Minister. It is – thank you. Is that on? Good. It is a pleasure, once again, to be here in Brasilia and to have the opportunity to meet with you and to sign these important agreements. As the foreign minister said, we covered a lot of ground today. We, of course, reviewed the relief effort in Chile and the importance of the countries of the Americas coming together in times of crisis. President Lula went to Chile. I went yesterday. We will work together to help Chile recover. We also very much appreciate Brazil’s leadership efforts in Haiti. Brazilian troops continue to play the lead in MINUSTAH, providing security and stability. Brazilian doctors continue to save lives. And Brazil is one of the keys to the international community in going forward with the kind of commitment to Haiti that will last and produce tangible results for the Haitian people. I also appreciate the very strong relationship that Brazil and the United States have had over the years, and the fact that we are even broadening and strengthening that today. Our governments do not agree on every issue. I don’t know of any two governments who agree on every issue. But we share core values – a passionate commitment to democracy and freedom. We share a sense of social responsibility, a belief that we are both better when others are given the chance to develop themselves. And both the United States and Brazil are committed to the core goal of nonproliferation. And the foreign minister and I discussed our mutual commitment to ensuring that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. And the United States looks forward to continuing that conversation with Brazil in the weeks ahead. The foreign minister and I also discussed the situation in Honduras and the progress being made there to restore constitutional democracy. The United States is committed to supporting Honduras on its path to reintegration within the inter-American community. And we want to work with Brazil and others to strengthen the OAS so that it can more effectively advance our shared democratic values, respond when democratic order is subverted or other challenges arise, and help to prevent political crises from erupting in the first place. Now, given the range of challenges before us, the United States and Brazil are launching a global partnership dialogue between our foreign ministries to deepen that cooperation. The agreements we signed today are part of that expanded engagement. The MOU on climate change will strengthen our cooperation in key areas, including building on the Copenhagen accord, which our two nations helped to craft last December; reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation; redoubling our commitment to our bilateral partnership in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other climate and energy issues. And we very much admire all that Brazil has achieved in this area and look to work cooperatively together on behalf of other countries as well. The memorandum on trilateral development will enhance our efforts to widen the circle of prosperity, increase social and economic inclusion, improve healthcare, and give people the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty in those countries in greatest need here in our own hemisphere. But we also are paying attention to Africa. It is a concern that both Brazil and the United States share, and we will work together. Brazil is a natural partner of ours in addressing food security, having implemented a highly successful and comprehensive program that has significantly reduced malnutrition in this country. It should be our goal that every child born in the Americas, or anywhere in the world, for that matter, has the opportunity to live up to his or her full God-given potential. Now, this goal would be impossible, however, if half the population is left behind. So our memorandum of understanding on women and girls will spur greater cooperation on eliminating violence against women, combating the trafficking of women and children, increasing the participation of women in decision making, improving equality and equal pay in the workplace, and creating new opportunities for women everywhere. This is not only the right thing to do, but Brazil and the United States agree it is the smart thing to do. Investing in the potential of women and girls is one of the surest ways to achieve economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity. Both of our countries have struggled at times to live up to our own ideals of equality, tolerance, and inclusion. But I think both the American citizens of the United States and the Brazilian citizens of the Americas can be proud of what we have accomplished. Our commitments to pluralism and democracy make us more competitive on the world stage. Brazil and the United States look much more like the rest of the world than many other countries do. That is a great, great strength. Later today, I will be visiting an Afro Brazilian university in Sao Paulo, the very first one, I am told, and meeting with some of Brazil’s brightest young people. The partnerships we create together will make sure that Brazil and the United States continue on a path toward greater equality, achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves. So again, let me thank the foreign minister for his hospitality and his efforts to promote cooperation between our nations, and I look forward to continuing to work with him. MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) The first question, Eduardo Davis, Agencia EFE. QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Madam Secretary, a question for you. Good afternoon. Madam Secretary, you said that you talked about Honduras with the minister. In this case, at the congress this morning, you said that it was important that this country be readmitted at the OAS. And what does Minister Amorim thinks is missing before Brazil normalizes relations with Honduras and support the reintegration of Honduras in – to the OAS? What’s the position of Brazil? And Secretary Clinton, this past Monday in Spain, a judge opened a case where he says there are evidence that the Venezuelan Government cooperated in some cases with FARC and with ETA to attack Colombian personalities in Spain. President Chavez, of course, rejected all those accusations, said they’re lies, and he says that the U.S. hand was behind all those accusations. How do you react and how do you (inaudible) these accusations, and could you give more information about this and do you have any additional comments about this allegation that the hand of the United States was behind all those accusations against Venezuela? FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM: I don’t know for whom the question is. But anyway, I think it’s for you. (Laughter.) SECRETARY CLINTON: Both of them? (Laughter.) Do you want me to answer? QUESTION: (Off-mike.) FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM: (Via interpreter) So maybe I could say something before the Secretary has the floor, because that will give her time to think about your – quite a few questions. Anyway, as regards to Honduras, our stances are well known. We exchanged views on that issue today earlier and I had the occasion of telling Madam Secretary that, of course, Brazil wishes to witness a future of normality throughout the region, and likewise we wish a future that will prove beneficial to all countries of the region as a whole. However, countries that have undergone, say, the trauma of living under a military dictatorship following a coup d’état – for example, my own generation, Brazil was deprived of voting rights. For 21 years on end we were not able to vote for the presidency. So you can’t take these things that widely. You have to bring that into perspective. So we have followed with great attention the gestures of, if you will, or the actions taken by the incumbent president of Honduras. He has made moves to the effect of fostering greater national reconciliation efforts, to include, of course, members of what you might describe as the opposition in Honduras, who are more, say, supportive of Zelaya. You might call them “left-wing supporters,” between quotations marks, under his administration, as is the case today. We also, of course, appreciate the efforts he has tried to undertake as regards amnesty. And even his initiative to visit Brazil’s first initiative, something that was very much called into question by the Brazilian media, but he did visit the Brazilian Embassy and followed, of course, with the key people all the way out to the airport. We, of course, very much appreciate the fact that the chief of staff himself was directly involved on a firsthand basis in the kidnapping or abduction of President Zelaya. So all of these, of course, are positive developments and we, of course, have kept an eye open and have sustained contacts in the region. But it’s the kind of thing that cannot be easily absorbed. I mean, the type of a military coup d’état happened and it struck a legitimately elected president who was very much in the middle of an otherwise successful term in office. So we need to, of course, work on the basis of two things, two variables: facts on the one hand, and time on the other hand. It can’t be just time, because, of course, some events may speed up the lapse of time, and that is why I do not wish to indicate any deadline, because very often you may find yourself without any relevant events, therefore time itself is not enough. And that’s what we’ve talked about so far. We, of course, are very appreciative of the positive efforts made in Honduras and also the positive efforts made by the U.S. I understand the White House will soon receive President Funes from El Salvador. He is very directly related to Brazil and I understand that Madam Secretary will be visiting Guatemala in the next few days. So we’re quite interested in monitoring events as they evolve. Of course, there’s a very emblematic event, which would be, of course, creating the conditions and fostering the wherewithal for Zelaya, if he so wishes to go back to his country, it’s not the only event – it’s not the only condition, but it would be symbolically very important in that sense. It would prove very instrumental. SECRETARY CLINTON: With respect to your question about Venezuela, I am not familiar with any of the allegations being made in Spain. I am familiar with the constant allegations being made by the Venezuelan Government with respect to our own government, and I can only reiterate what we have said many times: We are not involved in any activities intended to harm any Venezuelan. We are deeply concerned about the behavior of the Venezuelan Government, which we think is unproductive with respect to its relations with certain neighbors, which we believe is limiting, slowly but surely, the freedoms within Venezuela, therefore adversely impacting the Venezuelan people. And we would hope that there could be a new start on the part of the Venezuelan leadership to restore full democracy, to restore freedom of the press, to restore private property and return to a free market economy. We wish Venezuela were looking more to its south and looking at Brazil and looking at Chile and other models of a successful country. And we think that would be in the best interests of primarily the Venezuelans themselves, but certainly all of their neighbors. MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Second question, Matt Lee, Associated Press. QUESTION: Good afternoon. There seems to be a growing international consensus that now is the time to really focus on the pressure track with Iran. And – but just this morning, President Lula said that it’s not prudent to put Iran against the wall and that negotiations are still the way to go, still called for. Why is Brazil refusing to join this consensus, which now includes a very strong statement from the European Union this morning, and even President Medvedev of Russia yesterday? Why is Brazil refusing to join in this consensus? And Madam Secretary, what is the U.S. position on Brazil’s stance? Is it frustrating that the Brazilians are refusing to get with the program on this, like the Chinese? And then if I might also, this morning, the Arab League Follow-up Committee endorsed the plans for proximity talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I’m wondering what your reaction to that is and what role the Administration – in particular, Senator Mitchell – will play in those. Thank you. FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM: (Via interpreter) First of all, just a brief comment on Venezuela. Without, of course, agreeing with everything that the Madam Secretary said, I do agree, however, with one point; it is to say that Venezuela has to look southwards more. And that is why we have invited Venezuela to join MERCOSUR as a full member country, member state, which I think will be a very positive and favorable development to ensure that Venezuela’s relations with South American countries will be able to expand to include, of course, Brazil. And of course, such an expansion will prove very positive, it is my belief. Now, as regards the question asked by our Associated Press reporter, it is not a matter of Brazil refusing to join consensus on this matter. Of course, international relations are not discussed as you seem to describe them. I mean, we don’t discuss international matters on the basis of pressure factor only. I think each country, just as the case for each individual in life, has to think what his or her own head, and we do think with our own head. The fact is that our objectives here are one and the same. We are all working and we want to have a place – a world free of nuclear weapons, as President Obama himself stated more broadly, and also a world where there will be no nuclear proliferation underway. Now, we, of course, as indicated by our joint communiqué, we are concerned about the nuclear issue in Iran. It is a source of concern. The question, of course, is determining or identifying the best way to get here from – to get from here to where we have to get to. Now, whether or not the possibility for negotiations have been exhausted has yet to be determined. Now, we have – we also have to determine whether potentially coercive measures – sanctions, for that matter – will prove positive or negative. So in that regard, of course, our views may prove to differ and not necessarily be in line with each other, but that does not, of course, preclude us from exchanging views very candidly, very frankly, and in a spirit of sincerity on the several different facets of this issue. Obviously, the issue surrounding Iran and the potential implications of Iran’s nuclear program are, by definition, complex issues, in my view. But I think (inaudible) the door has been opened and there is a clear-cut opportunity, given the fact that Iran made a request – and I underline Iran made a request to buy fuel elements in the West – in the West – and by the way, not just West, but also Russia, China, and other countries, and through the IAEA countries, of course, submitted a swap proposal, if you will. We do believe that we still have the possibility of, say, coming to an agreement, given the proposed swap arrangement. Of course, that may require an element of flexibility on both sides. But I think given the basic elements currently in place, I believe what I have heard so far would be enough to allow us to move towards an agreement. The elements are conducive to an agreement. Of course, this is just my own assessment or view, and we are always open to your views and assessment by other friendly countries such as (inaudible) the United States. But we will not simply bow down to evolving consensus if we do not agree. When, for example, we had the Cancun meeting on the WTO, we were also charged with not joining the evolving consensus at the time, because, at the time, between the EU, the U.S., as you yourself indicated, I mean, the evolving consensus between the U.S., the EU and Japan. Today, by contrast, of course, our work (inaudible) seen by all in hindsight, including the U.S. and EU, as a major factor that proved the round to move ahead and make headway. Of course, the round did not prove successful in terms of the full completion. So I’m not even sure we have a majority here. We can’t just join the majorities because consensus is evolving. We have to think by ourselves and with our own values and principles. Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, let me say with respect to Iran, as the foreign minister said, we share the same goal. We both do not want to see Iran become a nuclear weapons country. We both support the goal of nonproliferation. We both believe that engagement and negotiation is preferable to sanctions and pressure. And to that end, President Obama has been reaching out to the Iranians for more than a year; and unfortunately, that outreach has not been reciprocated. In fact, during this past year, what have we learned? We’ve learned that Iran had a previously undisclosed secret facility in Qom working on nuclear enrichment. We’ve learned that the Iranians at first seemed open to but then rejected the offer by the United States, Russia, and France for an exchange taking the uranium – enriched uranium out of their country to enrich it, to return it, to run the Tehran research reactor. We have learned that after one meeting with the so-called P-5+1, namely, the members of the Security Council plus Germany, in October, Iran refuses to meet again. We have learned that the IAEA has issued a very long, detailed report pointing to the evidence that we believe supports our fears that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program. So there is no disagreement between us about wanting to avoid that outcome. The United States has concluded, along with the European Union, Russia, and others, that the time for international action is now; and therefore, we are working in the Security Council to try to demonstrate to Iran that there are consequences to their violation of IAEA regulations and of Security Council resolutions. I respect Brazil’s belief that there still is room for negotiation. We believe that a good faith effort by Iran toward negotiation would be welcomed by the international community. We have yet to see such a good faith offer of negotiation. So we are proceeding in the Security Council, we are consulting with our Brazilian friends, because at some point, we have to make a decision. If the international community, which believes in nonproliferation, which believes that a nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize one of the most unstable regions of the world, namely, the Middle East; if we believe that a nuclear-armed Iran would produce an arms race in the Middle East that might lead to conflict, then we have to do what we can do peacefully as soon as possible to avoid that. So we will be working in the Security Council and we will continue to consult closely with Brazil, a valued partner on these and so many matters. And the door is open for negotiation. We never slammed it shut. But we don’t see anybody even in the far-off distance walking toward it. We see an Iran that runs to Brazil, an Iran that runs to Turkey, an Iran that runs to China, telling different things to different people to avoid international sanction, which we think are the best way to avoid problems like conflicts and arms races that could disrupt the stability, the peace, and the oil markets of the world. So we will continue to discuss this because we share the same goal. It’s a question of what path we think is most likely to get us to that goal. With respect to your second question, Matt, on the proximity talks, we were very pleased by the endorsement that came out of Cairo today from the Arab Follow-up group. With respect to the proximity talks, we hope that they will begin soon. Senator Mitchell will be deeply involved in those talks. We have a very strong commitment to pursue a two-state solution to give the Palestinians the state that they deserve that they have aspired to, and to give the Israelis the security in their state that they have aspired and deserve. So I think that the United States, along with other countries, are very committed to trying to bring about the two-state solution, and we hope the proximity talks will be the beginning of that process. QUESTION: (Via interpreter) I’m (Inaudible) with Economico newspaper. As far as I understand what the Secretary of State has just told us, given the information available to (inaudible), the Iranians are dragging their feet, if you will, with Brazil and Turkey, and they are trying to stonewall (inaudible) just to avoid the actual enforcement and/or application of sanctions. Is that true? If so, I’d like to know from you what information, Mr. Minister (inaudible), information conveyed here by the U.S. Secretary of State. Are they convincing or persuasive enough to sustain the theory that Iran is indeed moving towards nuclear development for nuclear warfare? Do you think the Iranian nuclear program will be put for war-oriented purposes? And (inaudible), do you think Brazil has plans to change its stance towards Iran by potentially even supporting sanctions against Iran? That’s to Minister Amorim. To Madam Secretary, my question is, I understand U.S. officials have said that they would like to see more rigorous measures from Brazil towards Iran, so I would like to know what kind of rigorous, severe measures you would expect to see from Brazil. Are we talking about sanctions or other kinds of actions on the part of Brazil towards Iran? And I would also like to know from you, Madam Secretary, whether you are pleased or satisfied with what you have heard from the Brazilian Government so far. One further point, leaving Iran aside for a minute. There is a matter that is not so much with the Secretary of State. It’s to do with the USTR, but which may nevertheless have political implications or a ripple effect. It’s to do with the WTO controversy between – or cotton dispute between the two countries on the WTO rulings. So I’d like to hear your views on two aspects of this matter. Number one, or (a), so far the U.S. has not yet submitted a countervailing proposal and the proposal put forth to reduce subsidies to cotton growing in the U.S. (inaudible) has been found (inaudible) as being insufficient by Brazil. Brazil has stated that the U.S. proposal so far was a way to somehow offset the losses and therefore not authorize Brazil to engage in any retaliatory or retaliation measures on IPR, or intellectual property rights. So my question to you is, Madam Secretary, why is it that Brazil has not yet – or why is it the U.S. has not yet submitted a negotiating proposal with the U.S. to Brazil? Do you also think that there is any possibility for the U.S. Government to counter retaliating in case Brazil does apply retaliatory measures on IPR? FOREIGN MINISTER ARMORIM: (Via interpreter) Well, you thought – the Secretary of State thought that the U.S. media was harsh, but you are much harsher than the U.S. media, apparently. (Laughter.) It was rather a long question, but still. Fine, I understand the first question was addressed to me. I can’t even remember anymore. You asked so many questions. It was really like a dissertation more than a question. Anyway, what I have to say is that we, of course, pay great attention, as is always appropriate, to say, the views voiced by the United States. I don’t think it is fair to say that there has been, say, a novel and special development or event. What we have today on the table are different views and takes on the issue that have been voiced and exchanged, which we, of course, highly respect and do take into account. But obviously enough, it is always very risky to compare different situations. But what you referred to – and I’m not, of course, talking about anything that the Secretary herself referred to, but what you referred to in your comment/question as to the alleged idea that Iran is, say, deceiving and misleading and not being very straightforward with Brazil, Turkey and China – all I – what I have to say is that I acted as ambassador to Turkey before critical decisions were made on Iraq. And that’s very much what I heard back in 1998, 1999. I mean, smoke and mirrors – were playing smoke and mirrors. And what we saw, in fact, was the major charge against Iraq never did materialize. I mean, I’m not saying that in the past, they did not have any programs on weapons of mass destruction; they did have. However, the fact is that the destruction caused and the losses that the war had incurred were huge. I’m not saying that we will pursue this or that course of action, no. I think I heard the Secretary indicate that sanctions would be a way to avoid further and more serious conflict, if I understood properly what she said. Now, our concern is a twofold concern. Number one, Iran is a large, complex nation. It is a nation that, unlike any other small country – I’m not saying that small countries do not deserve as much respect – but what I’m saying is that only with difficulty will the – Iran actually accept a situation where a decision is imposed on it top-down. I think that nevertheless, that the agreement that was proposed some time ago, from my standpoint – and it’s just like (inaudible) – from the Iranian perspective, had a merit to it, because it clearly acknowledged Iran’s right to have a civilian nuclear program, to include enrichment, to a certain extent. So there was tremendous merit in that proposal, and it would be a pity if Iran waste that opportunity. They have to seize the opportunity that is available to them now. And initially, the Iranians seemed to at least agree with that proposal. Now, of course, a number of political developments happened in Iran as well as in the West, so political factors came into play both in Iran and in the West, which led Iran to take a step back. Now, the question at hand now is: Is it still possible to come to a solution or a formula that, based on the same concepts, on the same underlying ideas that proved so inspirational in vetting to the previous proposal – is it still possible to materialize such an agreement today? In our view, yes, still, it is possible. But I do agree with you; things are becoming more difficult day after day because as time goes by, of course, people tend to take on a harder and harder stance. The IAEA, of course, charges Iran and condemns it for what it’s did. And if Iran had the – or needed some kind of pretext, it does have a pretext now for going after 20 percent enrichment initiatives. And if so, then of course, that means that the level of suspicion around Iran goes up. So this negative spiral we seem to be seeing here, we have already seen in other cases in the past. But we, Brazil, we still – we are still open for further attempts to be made. The only, say, difference that we seem to have between us now is that perhaps – yes, it is perhaps worthwhile now engaging in an effort one more time. The director of the IAEA will soon come to Brazil. I can tell him that on a firsthand basis if we have enough time between now and then. I mean, I will easily and very frankly tell him, why do you not call upon all Iranian negotiators and P-5 – or G-5+1 and perhaps Turkey or other countries who add, say, an element of fresh air in the discussion to try to come up with a relevant solution, including the P-5+1 countries. Even if Iran does does develop the atomic bomb – I’m not saying it will do it or does not want to do it or it cannot do it. What I’m saying is that even if they do set out to do that, it’ll be a while. So perhaps another two- or three-month effort spearheaded by the director general of the IAEA would not it itself prevent Iran from doing that. So that’s our view. I have never said or stated how Brazil plans to vote at the Security Council. We, of course, have – uphold our view that sanctions, broadly speaking – and I’m not saying very – I’m not being very absolutely – absolute here. What I’m saying is that usually, more often than not, sanctions tend to have a negative effect. I was able to follow the state of affairs in Iraq right before 2003 and the sanctions that applied at the time. So that’s my view. But your other question about Qatar was not really being addressed to me, but if I may and if Madam Secretary allows me, I will try to address that issue too because I think it is important to know what’s going on there with as much clarity as possible. You asked the question about retaliation. Madam Secretary will certainly answer that question. But I can certainly not think that the U.S., a country that fostered the creation of (inaudible) and the WTO, the WTO being a rules-based system to govern international trade, that – not that the U.S. will resort to an expedient that is totally out of line with international rules. So I will not die – I would not be surprised enough, neither will I be utterly surprised to the point of dying from such a surprise, of course not. Now, with respect to Afghanistan, I understand a list will be published in the next week or so, and of course, will take effect only 30 days after. We do, of course, want negotiations to evolve, and the list will be drafted solely on the basis of goods, products, services and/or other assets that have been duly authorized by the WTO, strictly speaking – therefore, within international trade law. But we, of course, do hope that in the meantime, we will be able to come to a more successful round of negotiations. I even told Madam Secretary that had we completed the Doha round before, we would not find ourselves in the problems we have today, because if – or what Brazil did to solve not our cotton problems, but the African people’s problem is actually much more than what they would have to accommodate our demands at the WTO. SECRETARY CLINTON: With respect to the WTO cotton controversy, I feel like I’ve walked into a movie that’s been going on for years. And it is my hope we can bring this movie to happier ending. I understand from the foreign minister that Brazil will be, next week, publishing a list of actions that it intends to take with respect to the decision under – in accordance to their appeal from the WTO. The United States will also be sending two high-level officials next week to discuss a countervailing proposal. We will be presenting ideas because, as the foreign minister said, the Brazilian action doesn’t come into effect for 30 days. So there is time for us to try to resolve this in a peaceful and productive way without any further action. There’s so much trade between our two countries, and it is an area of such potential growth between our two countries, that we hope we’re able to work through this issue and get to a resolution. That is what we’re going to try to do starting next week. MODERATOR: (Via interpreter.) This concludes this interview or press conference. Thank you very much. Microphone, please. Microphone, please. QUESTION: (Inaudible.) SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think we have answered that in our questions, but I will certainly reiterate that our door is always open for negotiations, but it has to be a door that swings both ways. We don’t see any real effort on the part of the Iranians to pursue that offer. The IAEA similarly does not see any evidence of such an effort. But instead, with its recent report last week, the efforts of Iran going in the opposite direction and the decision to begin enriching uranium to 20 percent, which is a big leap from where they are to where they need to be for weapons – once they get to 20 percent, it’s a small leap to get to the full enrichment for nuclear weapons. But we are going to continue our work in the Security Council. No one prefers sanctions. We all wish that this could be negotiated. And we have consistently said that. That’s what President Obama said on his inaugural day, in his inauguration speech when he said we hold out our hand, but the other side must unclench its fist. Despite President Obama’s public offers, despite everything we’ve done, we’ve seen no real sincere efforts by the Iranians to meet the concerns of the international community. So we don’t have any disagreement on the point that – if negotiation could result in a satisfactory resolution, we would support that. But we see no evidence that Iran is willing to do that. So we are pursuing sanctions which we think is an important effort by the international community to send a clear message to Iran. And personally speaking, I think it’s only after we pass sanctions in the Security Council that Iran will negotiate in good faith. Now, we have a somewhat different perspective on that, but that is my belief, that is our Administration’s belief that once the international community speaks in unison around a resolution, then the Iranians will come and begin to negotiate. So we want to get to the negotiations; we just think that the best path is through the United Nations Security Council. MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much. This concludes this press conference.
3 March 2010
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Secretary Clinton’s Town Hall Meeting with University Students
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Town Hall with Brazil’s Globo Network March 3, 2010 Zumbi dos Palmares University Sao Paulo, Brazil QUESTION: Madam State Secretary, I arrived recently from Tehran, where I interviewed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And he was really happy with what he described support from the Brazilian Government. My question is, are you happy, too? SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Well, first let me say how happy – is this working? Can you hear me? How happy I am to be here at this university. I am delighted to be at the first Afro Brazilian university. It is very similar to our historically black colleges and universities, so I feel very much at home. And I want to congratulate the rector and everyone who has created this opportunity for higher education for the students here. It’s wonderful to be here with William and Maria for this conversation. And the first question is a challenging question. He’s an experienced journalist; he knows that. I had excellent meetings today in Brasilia with President Lula, with the Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, and others about the situation in Iran. And we share the same goal. The goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Both Brazil and the United States were like this. We absolutely agree. We are discussing the best way to achieve that goal. And we both believe that negotiations, diplomacy are always better than another approach, but sometimes you have to put more pressure on in order to get a sincere negotiation. So we are proceeding in the United Nations Security Council, working with many other countries who share our concerns, to create that pressure through greater sanctions that will get the attention of the Iranian Government. And the Brazilian Government is working also to achieve the goal, so we will continue talking about how we get to where we both want to end up. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. Madam Secretary, first of all, thank you so much for being here. I know all of us, but especially the students are delighted to welcome you this evening here. And my question is: In South American in general, but especially in Brazil, there is a certain feeling of dissatisfaction regarding this loneness with which the Obama Administration has been showing changes in American policy for Latin America. We expected a little bit more after Bush Administration. Can we assume that your visit is part of a long-awaited change for us? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first let me say I am so honored to be here on behalf of the United States and President Obama. We are still very excited by his election. And we believe that he has already changed many things about the way the world sees the United States. Change is never easy. You know, it’s not easy in a life. You wake up one day and you say, “I’m going to change. I’m going to get an education. I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to start exercising.” But then it takes time to actually realize the change. And I think that because of the excitement that President Obama generated all over the world, and particularly in Latin America, people might have forgotten that change is hard. If it were easy, anybody could do it. But he is committed to changing the relationship between the United States and Latin America, and so am I. And we are working on many common matters. Today in Brasilia, we signed memoranda between the United States and Brazil on how to improve gender equality, so that girls and women are given the same opportunities as boys and men. We talked about how to work together on climate change. These are all significant historical problems that take time. But I think that most people are understanding of that. We all get impatient. We wish it would happen yesterday. But I think that as I have been here in Brazil and I was before in Uruguay and Argentina and Chile, the terrible earthquake there, people believe in President Obama and his vision for the relationship that we’re building together. MR. WAACK: Okay. Let’s take the first question from the floor. MS. BELTRAO: We don’t see where the mike is. Here? QUESTION: First of all, good night, Hillary. SECRETARY CLINTON: Hello. QUESTION: And welcome to Sao Paulo. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. QUESTION: I am (inaudible) and I’m (inaudible) and we are a social project where anyone can come no matter your social class and (inaudible) one more about Brazilian culture, so we have dance classes, we have percussion classes, we have (inaudible), we have English and a lot of classes. So there I learned that if I studied and if I dedicated myself, I can do anything. So my question, like a student, is how a person that wants to study in the United States can do if we have to leave there and pay the college? It’s possible the uprooted student works in the United States or by some law in America, this is not possible. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first of all, let me congratulate you for your strong conviction that you can do whatever you want to do. QUESTION: Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: And your understanding that education is the key to being able to do that. That’s what this university stands for. We want to increase educational exchanges between the United States and Brazil. I would like to see thousands of Brazilian students coming to the United States every year and thousands of students from the United States coming to Brazil every year. And we’re looking for ways to do that. I just met with a group of Brazilian business leaders who had American companies based in Brazil, companies like Microsoft and Ford and Motorola, very famous companies. They are working together to help more students in Brazil learn English. And in fact, I told the rector that they told me tonight that they are going to sponsor 15 scholarships for students here at Zumbi University to learn English. So we want to do more of that. And we will be working together to give you more opportunities. And if you personally will come to – this is our Ambassador right here. There’s Ambassador Shannon in the front row. If you will find him after, he will make sure you get information about all of the programs and the scholarships you can apply for, because there are probably many more than you know right now that you might be eligible for. And we’re going to have, I hope, even more in the future. QUESTION: Okay, thank you. And I want to invite you to know our project (inaudible) any time you want. Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. MR. WAACK: (Inaudible.) There is a question from the internet which relates very much with what was asked right now about the visa requirements for Brazilian citizens who wish to enter the U.S. soil. We Brazilians are hardworking people in the United States. We need to have an immigration reform in your country. The question is: Does the United States see us, Brazilians, as a threat? SECRETARY CLINTON: No – (laughter) – not at all. I live on a street in Washington just about six houses away from the Brazilian ambassador’s residence, and what used to be the visa office for the Brazilian Embassy. So every day I would drive by dozens and dozens of Brazilians in America going in to get their visas renewed or to get them verified. We want more exchanges between Brazil and the United States. We want more Brazilians coming to study and visit and work and we wanted more Americans to come to Brazil. Now, there are two big reasons why Americans will come to Brazil in the next few years: the World Cup and the Olympics. So we want to make it easier. And one of our problems which I learned about yesterday was that we only have a few places. We only have – we have the Embassy in Brasilia and then we only have three consulates in Sao Paulo and Rio and Recife, and that makes it very hard in a country as big as Brazil for people to get visas. So the ambassador and I are working on ways to make it easier, because we really do want to increase the exchanges between our two countries. I believe that Brazil and the United States are the two countries more alike than any two countries in the world. MS. BELTRAO: Why is that so? SECRETARY CLINTON: Because we are big – MS. BELTRAO: Oh, yeah. (Laughter.) SECRETARY CLINTON: -- we are pluralistic. We are dynamic. We’re mostly happy. MS. BELTRAO: Mostly. SECRETARY CLINTON: We are two countries that have so much in common and I want to bring us closer together. MS. BELTRAO: Wonderful. QUESTION: (In Portuguese.) SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s such a very important question, and I think every country has to ask itself what are we doing to preserve what we inherited for the next generation? We had nothing to do in creating the beauty that is around us. I mean, Brazil is such a beautiful country. I think my country is a beautiful country. And more than 140 years ago, American leaders began creating national parks to preserve some of the beauty from development, so you mentioned Yellowstone. There are many others, like Yosemite. There are so many across our nation. That was a very important step. And I think every country should look at its patrimony, its physical patrimony, and determine how it can save some of it in its natural state. Then we all have to be more careful in how we use the earth. We’ve learned too much. What was acceptable a hundred years ago, because we didn’t know any better, no longer is acceptable. So we should be much more thoughtful as we extract raw materials from the earth as we plow it up, as we pollute the air or the water. It’s going to be one of the most important challenges for every country and every citizen in this century. And the final thing I would say is nature is so powerful. We have seen two examples of that in our own hemisphere in the last months – first in Haiti, now in Chile. And we don’t know all of the connections between what humanity does to the earth and what the earth then does, but we can see the scars. We can see the pollution in the rivers and the lakes that kill the fish. We can see the pollution in the air that gives children asthma, so we know we are doing things that are causing long-term damage. And part of our job now is how do we improve the standard of living, create jobs, raise incomes for people without destroying the very earth we inhabit. And that’s a question for all of us to ask. And my country is working hard on that. I know Brazil is as well, but we have lots to do. MR. WAACK: Madam State Secretary, we have a question from an extremely popular Brazilian actor. He is popular here (inaudible), which was prerecorded. MS. BELTRAO: Just a second. Just a second. QUESTION: (In Portuguese.) MS. BELTRAO: Good question. SECRETARY CLINTON: I am very proud of the progress that the United States has made in the last 50 years, through our civil rights movement, through the hard work and the sacrifice of leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others. We have changed the laws so that there are not visible legal barriers to African Americans achieving in education, and in professions and in business. So we have ended overt discrimination. I cannot sit here and tell you where we have ended racism. That I cannot say because that is not true. Just like I can’t sit here and say we’ve ended sexism or other forms of discrimination. They still exist in our country, as they do around the world. But the United States has made so much progress and affirmative action played a big part in that. There are those who criticize affirmative action, but I believe that it helped to overcome the vestiges of slavery and segregation, and it was an important phase for our country to go through. Now it is not used as much because there is a feeling that there’s more equality. But I still believe we have to focus on poor children – black, white, brown, whatever background – who too often are born into circumstances where the deck is stacked against them, and they still need more assistance with education and health and the basic building blocks of a successful life. But the election of Barack Obama, many believe was the greatest accomplishment of all because it demonstrated that an African American could be elected President of the United States. And look, I ran against him and ran very hard against him, and he won fair and square. So I think it was a great tribute to the American people and the American system, and I hope that similarly in Brazil and other countries, that same kind of progress can occur. MS. BELTRAO: If I may, you said sexism still exists. Since International Women’s Day is upon us on March the 8th, and we have many examples of women in top government here in Latin America. You were with Michelle Bachelet. You were with Cristina Kirchner. And your career is an example, I think, for many women here. I’d like just a brief response about what are the advantages or disadvantages of being a woman in politics today? SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that Latin America has a number of examples of women coming to the top of the political system, and I know that a woman will be running here in Brazil for president as well. QUESTION: Two. SECRETARY CLINTON: Two women. QUESTION: Two women. SECRETARY CLINTON: So I think that is a very good sign of what is possible. But there are still a lot of barriers to women’s participation, some of them more psychological, some of them more cultural and historical. But again, we’ve seen a lot of progress but we still have to make sure that we stand against domestic violence, because it cannot be tolerated anywhere, anytime; that we make sure that schools and healthcare is open to girls as well as to boys. This is not as big a problem in our hemisphere as it is in other places in the world, but we still have work to do. QUESTION: (Via translator.) A very good evening, very nice, Secretary Hillary. I am a professor of (inaudible) law here. And I’m also a doctor in law here. Our dean explained very well what is happening in our supreme court here, the discussion about affirmative action, about quotas – racial quotas. What would you make as a technical recommendation to the supreme court so that the supreme court would be totally impartial in its discussion about racial quotas for universities? SECRETARY CLINTON: I do not know the details, the details of the case before your supreme court. But I know some statistics that are very significant, in my view. A statistic I was told today is that the Afro Brazilian population is slightly more than 50 percent of the country, but only two percent of the students in higher education in Brazil are Afro Brazilians. So that suggests to me that some special steps need to be taken to recruiting and admitting students so that they can have a chance to succeed. Affirmative action in our country was an opportunity to get in the door, not a guarantee that you would get the degree. I taught in a law school, and I taught students who had been admitted under affirmative action – African American students. And the students I taught were extremely motivated and very ambitious, but their educational training prior to law school often had not been good enough to prepare them to compete. So I spent a lot of time with my African American students, a lot of tutoring time, a lot of effort to help them be successful. And many of them succeeded, but not all of them. But I think what affirmative action should be is a recognition that historical barriers have shrunk the pipeline. Not very many people can get through it. So it needs to be opened up. And the education system is the passport to opportunity, so let more people into that. Give people a chance. I think that talent is universal, but opportunity isn’t. So the more you can universalize opportunity in a society as dynamic as Brazil, the more people will rise and the more the meritocracy will work. And in my discussion earlier this evening with the heads of these American companies based in Brazil, and they are Brazilians themselves, the point they made is that with the Brazilian economy growing, often the only thing holding it back is having enough qualified students who are engineers, who do IT, who can do the jobs of today and tomorrow. So the education system needs to expand affirmatively to get more people in. And then the final thing I would say, what I learned when I was a law professor is that it’s not fair just to admit students and then stand by and watch them fail. There have to be programs to help them succeed, because so many of them come with problems from the past. And so admitting on an affirmative action basis and then working to create as many success stories as possible is what I hope you will see happen. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Madam Secretary, good evening. I am Leonardo, and I would like to ask a question about subsidies to products. The U.S. is a developed country. Therefore, couldn’t it be a little more flexible when it comes to negotiating subsidies to certain products? Because if it did so, that would help developing countries. And that would help these countries develop on the social area, it would help these countries organize better, produce better, it would help these countries strengthen their economies. So both sides would gain if the U.S. was more flexible in subsidy negotiations. Did you complete your question? It’s a good question. Both – I got lost, says the questioner. So both countries, in this case, would – it would be a win-win situation. The U.S. on one hand would be the strongest partner, who in that case – maybe I would consider this question concluded. Okay. You have the question. SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that the point you make is an important one for all countries. I believe that there has to be more trade and open markets, but it’s also true that every country has their own political concerns. And so the United States is a very open market, probably, in my view, the most open in the world. But there are certain sectors within our economy that people are still trying to protect from global competition. And as in any country with a democracy, there’s political pressures. So we’re going to continue to do what we can to open our markets, and we’re going to ask other countries to open their markets. We’re going to take special action, like we have in Haiti, where textiles can come from Haiti totally duty free because we want to build up Haiti, which is such a poor country. And we’re going to negotiate with other countries like Brazil to create more openness. So your general point is a fair one, but as with so much, there’s political dimensions. And we have to negotiate, we have to trade, we have to work out how best to do it, but we’re in the midst of trying to do more of that with Brazil and other countries. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, just as recently as last week, a big number of Latin American and Caribbean countries, they have a new club. SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter). Yeah. QUESTION: Excluding you and the (inaudible). How do you understand that move? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that there’s a need for countries to come together in different formations. We have a North American club that consists of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. We have bilateral relationships and trilateral relationships with all kinds of countries. The United States doesn’t see any of that as unfortunate or threatening. We view better coordination and cooperation among countries as a plus. We have so much work to do in this hemisphere, that the more we can cooperate, that we can put past grievances behind us, that we can look for ways to solve problems together – for example, Haiti, every single country in the hemisphere, even the poorest ones have contributed something. So when countries come together and say we want to do more and cooperate more, the United States is for that. QUESTION: (Via interpreter). Good evening, Madam Secretary. Good evening to the journalists. Good evening, everyone. I am (inaudible). Unfortunately, I’m not a student here at Zumbi. I’m a lawyer, however. And not long ago, up to – not long ago, I was chairman of the non-discriminatory commission of the bar association of Brazil. Many of the questions I had to ask were answered, so I’ll ask something else. President Obama, in view of the crisis, has been working in a different way, compared to what the U.S. is to do before. So President Obama almost nationalized some businesses – almost, I said, of course. We know that American business do their business in the Unites States according to certain policies. So why wouldn’t we do it in such ways so that U.S. – oh, we know that in the U.S. businesses and corporations sometimes carry out public business policies, I mean, to promote better social conditions and racial conditions. Why not ask those companies -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that’s why I was very excited to meet some of the American companies here in Brazil who are doing exactly that. They are exercising what’s called corporate social responsibility. And that is an important part of the American business ethic. Most American businesses give back to their communities, they contribute to good causes, they support colleges and universities, hospitals, arts programs. And the American businesses here in Brazil, about 104 of them, have joined together to do that in Brazil. And I hope it’s contagious, because the more businesses can be in what we call public-private partnerships, the more people can be helped. Government can’t do everything. Business’s primary job is to make a profit through employing people and investing. But government and business working together can support a university like this, can look for other ways to help individuals and institutions do better. So you make a very good point that I’m very proud of American businesses that are corporate social responsible citizens, and I think we have to see more of that from the private sector because the public and private sector need each other. The private sector employs the students who graduate from the school systems, so they need a strong governmental commitment to education. The government can’t run unless business is successful and people are paying taxes and contributing to the well-being of the government. So public and private have to work together for the good of a country. And I think we’re seeing more of that in Brazil, and I’m very proud of the American businesses that are contributing to it. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) I am (inaudible), and I coordinate the law school of this university. Recently, the President – the President Barack Obama, mentioned Lula as a guy, a nice guy. And I would like to say that you, for being so nice to having accepted this, I would like to say that you are our guy, too. (Applause.) I would like to say that your participation here would be very, very important if we can convince the great American investors, as Professor (inaudible) says, if they could invest more and more in Brazil but if – with the clause that would demand that these corporations also invest in affirmative policies here. You look here, you can see that we have a very diverse nation here. However, opportunities are not the same for all of us here. Maybe your presence here will create a true revolution in the way that we will reach this opportunity and we will really conquer it. Thank you so much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you for those very kind words – (laughter) – and I am honored to be an honorary guy. (Laughter.) And I think your wish is one that I hope is fulfilled. Brazil is a global nation. Globalization has come to Brazil and Brazil has become a major player on the global stage. What the United States has found is that we have to invest in all of our people if we’re going to continue to be successful. And Brazil is exactly the same. So this university is a tangible example of that kind of investment. And I agree with you, perhaps my being here will bring this example to more people and more Brazilians will be very proud of this university, but also look close to home to see what more can be done in every part of the country to provide opportunity to all Brazilians. MR. WAACK: State Secretary, this is a question from the internet which, again, relates to what you just said about Brazil being a global player. Does it mean that Brazil will have to support to you in the Security Council, playing like the big guys do? SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Well, I think Brazil is a global player with an independent mind, just as the United States is. I mean, every country has to make a judgment about what is in their core interest, their security interest, their economic and political interest. And we work with Brazil on many, many issues. In the Security Council, where there will be a number of difficult problems, the most important in my opinion will be what we do about Iran – the first question, you asked me, William. And we are hoping to get enough support in the Security Council to send a unified message to Iran that they are perfectly free to have peaceful, civil nuclear power. But they are not, under the very agreements that they signed, entitled to a nuclear weapons program. And if Iran continues to move toward a nuclear weapons program, that will send a ripple through the Gulf, and the Arab nations there will think, well, if Iran has nuclear weapons, we’d better have nuclear weapons. And then Israel will think if Iran keeps saying that it wants to destroy us and it has nuclear weapons, we’d better do something about that. We want to avoid all of that. And we think the best way to avoid all of that is for the Security Council to vote for new sanctions on Iran to get their attention to change their behavior, and that’s what we are hoping to achieve and are working with many nations, including Brazil, to figure out the way forward. MS. BELTRAO: So you don’t see – I’m sorry, William – so you don’t see Brazil as a permanent member of the UN Security Council in the near future? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that – I hope there is UN reform and I hope there is reform in the Security Council. But that takes a lot of countries agreeing, and that is still in the formative stages. I would like to see it. The United States supports taking reforms in the United Nations, but there are a lot of countries with a lot of power that do not. So we have to, again, work – MS. BELTRAO: Adjust. SECRETARY CLINTON: -- to get them to agree. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. QUESTION: Good evening. My name is Tamezra. I’m an international relation student, and I have two questions. One of them is really quick and I will let it to the end. But first, I’d like to know your opinion regarding the Venezuela and United States relation, considering that there is a big difference between the political and economic context in this relationship. And my second question is regarding this book, Living History (inaudible) you wrote two years ago. I’d like to know if you could sign it to me before you go – (laughter) – and, if you don’t mind. It would mean a lot to me. MR. WAACK: She is smart. SECRETARY CLINTON: The second question’s very easy. Of course, I will sign it before I go. (Laughter.) QUESTION: Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: And anyone else who brought a copy, I’d be happy to. The first question, the United States would very much like to have a positive relationship with Venezuela. I’m sure some of you remember when President Obama went to the Summit of the Americas, he shook hands with Hugo Chavez. He exchanged words with him. He was reaching out to President Chavez. But there are many, many things which concern us about what is happening in Venezuela today. When I was in Brasilia and here today in this university setting, I see the free press that Brazil has. I saw it in very active participation in Brasilia where there were so many cameras and so many different reporters there. President Chavez is trying to stifle the press in Venezuela. If you say anything negative about him, he tries to shut you down. That is not the way a democracy operates. He is taking over companies and taking their assets and, unfortunately now, we see the results of those economic policies. There are electricity shortages in Venezuela, a country with oil. It makes no sense. So we wish for a better future for the people of Venezuela. We wish that their government would govern more in the interests of all of the people. We also wish that there would be less rhetoric and threats coming from Venezuela. But that is not our choice; that is their choice. And I can only repeat here what President Obama and I have said on many occasions: We want to have a positive relationship, but it’s difficult under the current circumstances. QUESTION: Very short, Madam State Secretary -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. QUESTION: President Obama is reaching everywhere, to the Muslim countries, to Iran, China, Chavez. It’s not working. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I don’t agree with that. I think that it’s working in many, many places, but it’s also exposing those governments and leaders who have a different agenda. When President Obama said on his inaugural day that the United States would reach out a hand to every country but they would have to unclench their fist, he meant it, and he has followed through. He has been very sincere. So what have we seen? We’ve seen great excitement and openness to this new approach in many parts of the world. President Obama is very popular in Latin America because I think the people see a person who wants to do right and who is working hard to achieve that. But there are leaders in countries who just want to rule the way they choose. They don’t want to make their people freer, they don’t want to take away special privileges from the elite and share it with the people, they don’t want to change. So I think we’ve exposed a lot. Many people said, well, the reason Iran hasn’t responded is because they didn’t like the former president. So President Obama said let’s change, let’s talk. There’s nothing coming back. So I think that this has been a very good policy both to show President Obama’s commitment, but also to reveal those who have a different agenda. MS. BELTRAO: We are – sorry – we are facing a presidential election in Brazil this year -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. MS. BELTRAO: -- so you were talking about concerns and leaders. Are there any issues in Brazilian politics or agenda that might be a concern for United States with the next president? SECRETARY CLINTON: No, no, because we have confidence in Brazil’s democracy. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. SECRETARY CLINTON: This is a vital, dynamic democracy. We think that the election will be exciting. I’ll follow it from the United States. And we believe that whoever is the next president will have a good relationship with the United States and we’ll continue to continue to work together. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Good evening, Madam Secretary. I’m Luciano. I’m a law student here in Zumbi and I also take care of teenagers that are in trouble. I wanted to ask you what is the policy in the United States to defend children, teenagers, and traffic in persons in the United States? What are the U.S. doing against that? And what is the U.S. doing about – we talked so much about not building bombs in the U.S., but how does President Obama react to what President Bush did in Iraq? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, let me thank you for helping teenagers. There are so many children and teenagers that need help. They don’t have perhaps families that care for them. They are in difficult circumstances, so thank you. And we in the United States are very committed to working against trafficking. This is a personal issue that I’ve worked on for many years. We have very strong laws against trafficking. We prosecute traffickers. We try to break up the rings that smuggle people across our borders. And we also put out a report every year that grades every country on how well the countries are doing, including ourselves this year. And we see some very positive trends. More and more countries are taking the trafficking of people, particularly children, seriously. They’ve got laws. They’re enforcing the laws. But some countries are still not willing to admit they have a problem, so we have to continue to work on this. But trafficking in human beings is modern day slavery. It should be condemned by everyone. Police should break up these rings and rescue people who’ve been trafficked into sexual slavery or into bonded labor. Prosecutors and judges should be very harsh on the traffickers. There should be programs to rehabilitate the people who have been abused by the traffickers. And I hope that we’ll see a groundswell of support for tougher programs against the traffickers. As to your second question, I think you know that President Obama is very different, has a very different approach to the world, and I believe that that’s one of the reasons he’s so popular around the world. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Good evening, Madam Secretary, Marcos Leone. I studied terrestrial transportation here at this university. In Brazil, we have many roads. We have economic blocs here. We have Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, other countries as well as you have NAFTA in the north. And we, during this economic crisis, many economic blocs suffered. Suffered economic, suffered in terms of wages. What did the U.S. do in terms of transportation to face the crisis? Passenger crisis, passenger transportation as well as merchandise transportation. We changed the way we transported people and freight here in Brazil, and I think we should do a lot of reform in terms of transportation in order to be ready to fight against any possible upcoming economic crisis. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I agree, because I was late today, since there was an accident on the highway. MR. WAACK: No, it’s normal. SECRETARY CLINTON: It’s normal. MS. BELTRAO: Routine. SECRETARY CLINTON: So I’m all for better transportation in Brazil and in the United States as well. What we’ve done, because it’s a very good question – what we’ve done this past year in the Obama Administration is invest in more roads, invest in high-speed rail, invest in trying to upgrade subways and other passenger transportation. When President Obama submitted his stimulus bill to the Congress, a lot of the money in that went for transportation improvements, maintenance, and new forms of transportation. I don’t know how many hours a week people in Brazil lose to transportation holdups, but probably the average American loses a whole year in the course of his or her life, sitting in traffic, stopping in traffic, being delayed at airports that are clogged up, trains that are not running on time, all of the problems. So this is an issue for every country. And in the 21st century, it’s going to get even worse unless we plan ahead. So our country is trying to do that under President Obama’s leadership, and I think all of us are going to have to face up to the fact that we have to be more efficient in moving people and goods if we’re going to keep growing economically and realize the benefits of that growth. MR. WAACK: We have two minutes. (In Portugese.) QUESTION: (Via interpreter). Good night. My name is Medina. I’m a law student from (inaudible). And I also had a great opportunity to go to the United States as a U.S. (inaudible) scholarship holder, and I’m very grateful for that opportunity. I’m not sure if you are aware that the right of abortion does not exist in Brazil, not only its legal as it – also it’s a crime. And many, like, thousands of Brazilian women die every year from illegal abortions, making it the first cause of pregnant women death in this country. The right of abortion is also not accessible to all American women. What are the steps, what are the initiatives now throughout Obama’s term to make it – to change this situation in the United States? Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, President Obama and I believe in a woman’s right to choose. And President Obama has reversed policies from the prior administration that prevented women from making an informed decision. And he has also reversed what’s called the gag rule with respect to information going from aid programs to women around the world. And he’s also invested greatly in family planning services so that all women have a chance to exercise their own rights. This is an issue that I think is a social equity and social justice issue because wealthy women have rights in every country and poor women don’t. And I’ve written about this in my book, It Takes A Village. I visited a hospital here in Brazil back in the 1990s, and I’ll never forget one of the doctors telling me that this hospital that I visited was a hospital that had the best of feelings and the worst of feelings. And I said, “Well, what do you mean?” He said, “Well, half the hospital are women having babies, and they are so excited. And half the hospital are women who are suffering from illegal abortions, and they are very sad.” I’ll never forget that. And so I know that in every country, this is a decision for the people of the country, but I think it is something that needs to be carefully thought about because of the great effect it has on the numbers of children that poor women have that they can’t educate, feed properly, care for, the great toll that illegal abortions take, and the denial of women being able to exercise such a fundamental personal right. So President Obama has taken steps since he became President to give the right of choice to women and to do what we can to help avoid women having to make that choice, through better planning and better information and education. MR. WAACK: Very last question: When is President Obama coming to Brazil? (Laughter.) SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I will tell him he is very much invited. I heard that from President Lula and hear it from you and I will convey that to him. He’s working very hard to try to get healthcare reform passed in the United States. And having been a senator, I understand how hard that is. And he’s going to keep working at it until he gets it done, and then maybe he’ll be able to take a break and I know he would love to come to Brazil. MS. BELRAO: Secretary, you have been a senator, a first lady, you had a prominent legal career, Secretary of State now. Which was the hardest job, be a mom, maybe? No. SECRETARY CLINTON: I think being a mom is. I think it’s the most important job I’ve ever had, and it’s the one that gives me the greatest joy. My daughter is getting married this summer and I’m excited about that. So I’ve been a very fortunate person. I feel that I had so many advantages. I had a family that supported me. I had parents who believed that girls were just as valuable and could be their own people just as boys were. I had great teachers in my school. I had so many advantages. So I’ve been very blessed, and I’m very grateful for that. And I get to serve a country that I love and I get to work with a President who I admire, and I think that it’s a very special time in history. So I can’t be – I can’t be complaining about anything other than how hard the work is. But that is something that I relish. So I think all of you for having me at this university. I wish this university such great success. By the quality of the questions, you have a wonderful faculty and excellent students, and I hope that there will be very great things coming from this university in the future. And thank you for doing this with me tonight. MS. BELTRAO: Thank you very much. MR. WAACK Hillary, thank you for the conversation.
3 March 2010
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Article
Secretary Clinton’s Town Hall Meeting with University Students
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 3, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Town Hall with Brazil’s Globo Network March 3, 2010 Zumbi dos Palmares University Sao Paulo, Brazil QUESTION: Madam State Secretary, I arrived recently from Tehran, where I interviewed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And he was really happy with what he described support from the Brazilian Government. My question is, are you happy, too? SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Well, first let me say how happy – is this working? Can you hear me? How happy I am to be here at this university. I am delighted to be at the first Afro Brazilian university. It is very similar to our historically black colleges and universities, so I feel very much at home. And I want to congratulate the rector and everyone who has created this opportunity for higher education for the students here. It’s wonderful to be here with William and Maria for this conversation. And the first question is a challenging question. He’s an experienced journalist; he knows that. I had excellent meetings today in Brasilia with President Lula, with the Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, and others about the situation in Iran. And we share the same goal. The goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Both Brazil and the United States were like this. We absolutely agree. We are discussing the best way to achieve that goal. And we both believe that negotiations, diplomacy are always better than another approach, but sometimes you have to put more pressure on in order to get a sincere negotiation. So we are proceeding in the United Nations Security Council, working with many other countries who share our concerns, to create that pressure through greater sanctions that will get the attention of the Iranian Government. And the Brazilian Government is working also to achieve the goal, so we will continue talking about how we get to where we both want to end up. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. Madam Secretary, first of all, thank you so much for being here. I know all of us, but especially the students are delighted to welcome you this evening here. And my question is: In South American in general, but especially in Brazil, there is a certain feeling of dissatisfaction regarding this loneness with which the Obama Administration has been showing changes in American policy for Latin America. We expected a little bit more after Bush Administration. Can we assume that your visit is part of a long-awaited change for us? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first let me say I am so honored to be here on behalf of the United States and President Obama. We are still very excited by his election. And we believe that he has already changed many things about the way the world sees the United States. Change is never easy. You know, it’s not easy in a life. You wake up one day and you say, “I’m going to change. I’m going to get an education. I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to start exercising.” But then it takes time to actually realize the change. And I think that because of the excitement that President Obama generated all over the world, and particularly in Latin America, people might have forgotten that change is hard. If it were easy, anybody could do it. But he is committed to changing the relationship between the United States and Latin America, and so am I. And we are working on many common matters. Today in Brasilia, we signed memoranda between the United States and Brazil on how to improve gender equality, so that girls and women are given the same opportunities as boys and men. We talked about how to work together on climate change. These are all significant historical problems that take time. But I think that most people are understanding of that. We all get impatient. We wish it would happen yesterday. But I think that as I have been here in Brazil and I was before in Uruguay and Argentina and Chile, the terrible earthquake there, people believe in President Obama and his vision for the relationship that we’re building together. MR. WAACK: Okay. Let’s take the first question from the floor. MS. BELTRAO: We don’t see where the mike is. Here? QUESTION: First of all, good night, Hillary. SECRETARY CLINTON: Hello. QUESTION: And welcome to Sao Paulo. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. QUESTION: I am (inaudible) and I’m (inaudible) and we are a social project where anyone can come no matter your social class and (inaudible) one more about Brazilian culture, so we have dance classes, we have percussion classes, we have (inaudible), we have English and a lot of classes. So there I learned that if I studied and if I dedicated myself, I can do anything. So my question, like a student, is how a person that wants to study in the United States can do if we have to leave there and pay the college? It’s possible the uprooted student works in the United States or by some law in America, this is not possible. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first of all, let me congratulate you for your strong conviction that you can do whatever you want to do. QUESTION: Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: And your understanding that education is the key to being able to do that. That’s what this university stands for. We want to increase educational exchanges between the United States and Brazil. I would like to see thousands of Brazilian students coming to the United States every year and thousands of students from the United States coming to Brazil every year. And we’re looking for ways to do that. I just met with a group of Brazilian business leaders who had American companies based in Brazil, companies like Microsoft and Ford and Motorola, very famous companies. They are working together to help more students in Brazil learn English. And in fact, I told the rector that they told me tonight that they are going to sponsor 15 scholarships for students here at Zumbi University to learn English. So we want to do more of that. And we will be working together to give you more opportunities. And if you personally will come to – this is our Ambassador right here. There’s Ambassador Shannon in the front row. If you will find him after, he will make sure you get information about all of the programs and the scholarships you can apply for, because there are probably many more than you know right now that you might be eligible for. And we’re going to have, I hope, even more in the future. QUESTION: Okay, thank you. And I want to invite you to know our project (inaudible) any time you want. Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. MR. WAACK: (Inaudible.) There is a question from the internet which relates very much with what was asked right now about the visa requirements for Brazilian citizens who wish to enter the U.S. soil. We Brazilians are hardworking people in the United States. We need to have an immigration reform in your country. The question is: Does the United States see us, Brazilians, as a threat? SECRETARY CLINTON: No – (laughter) – not at all. I live on a street in Washington just about six houses away from the Brazilian ambassador’s residence, and what used to be the visa office for the Brazilian Embassy. So every day I would drive by dozens and dozens of Brazilians in America going in to get their visas renewed or to get them verified. We want more exchanges between Brazil and the United States. We want more Brazilians coming to study and visit and work and we wanted more Americans to come to Brazil. Now, there are two big reasons why Americans will come to Brazil in the next few years: the World Cup and the Olympics. So we want to make it easier. And one of our problems which I learned about yesterday was that we only have a few places. We only have – we have the Embassy in Brasilia and then we only have three consulates in Sao Paulo and Rio and Recife, and that makes it very hard in a country as big as Brazil for people to get visas. So the ambassador and I are working on ways to make it easier, because we really do want to increase the exchanges between our two countries. I believe that Brazil and the United States are the two countries more alike than any two countries in the world. MS. BELTRAO: Why is that so? SECRETARY CLINTON: Because we are big – MS. BELTRAO: Oh, yeah. (Laughter.) SECRETARY CLINTON: -- we are pluralistic. We are dynamic. We’re mostly happy. MS. BELTRAO: Mostly. SECRETARY CLINTON: We are two countries that have so much in common and I want to bring us closer together. MS. BELTRAO: Wonderful. QUESTION: (In Portuguese.) SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s such a very important question, and I think every country has to ask itself what are we doing to preserve what we inherited for the next generation? We had nothing to do in creating the beauty that is around us. I mean, Brazil is such a beautiful country. I think my country is a beautiful country. And more than 140 years ago, American leaders began creating national parks to preserve some of the beauty from development, so you mentioned Yellowstone. There are many others, like Yosemite. There are so many across our nation. That was a very important step. And I think every country should look at its patrimony, its physical patrimony, and determine how it can save some of it in its natural state. Then we all have to be more careful in how we use the earth. We’ve learned too much. What was acceptable a hundred years ago, because we didn’t know any better, no longer is acceptable. So we should be much more thoughtful as we extract raw materials from the earth as we plow it up, as we pollute the air or the water. It’s going to be one of the most important challenges for every country and every citizen in this century. And the final thing I would say is nature is so powerful. We have seen two examples of that in our own hemisphere in the last months – first in Haiti, now in Chile. And we don’t know all of the connections between what humanity does to the earth and what the earth then does, but we can see the scars. We can see the pollution in the rivers and the lakes that kill the fish. We can see the pollution in the air that gives children asthma, so we know we are doing things that are causing long-term damage. And part of our job now is how do we improve the standard of living, create jobs, raise incomes for people without destroying the very earth we inhabit. And that’s a question for all of us to ask. And my country is working hard on that. I know Brazil is as well, but we have lots to do. MR. WAACK: Madam State Secretary, we have a question from an extremely popular Brazilian actor. He is popular here (inaudible), which was prerecorded. MS. BELTRAO: Just a second. Just a second. QUESTION: (In Portuguese.) MS. BELTRAO: Good question. SECRETARY CLINTON: I am very proud of the progress that the United States has made in the last 50 years, through our civil rights movement, through the hard work and the sacrifice of leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others. We have changed the laws so that there are not visible legal barriers to African Americans achieving in education, and in professions and in business. So we have ended overt discrimination. I cannot sit here and tell you where we have ended racism. That I cannot say because that is not true. Just like I can’t sit here and say we’ve ended sexism or other forms of discrimination. They still exist in our country, as they do around the world. But the United States has made so much progress and affirmative action played a big part in that. There are those who criticize affirmative action, but I believe that it helped to overcome the vestiges of slavery and segregation, and it was an important phase for our country to go through. Now it is not used as much because there is a feeling that there’s more equality. But I still believe we have to focus on poor children – black, white, brown, whatever background – who too often are born into circumstances where the deck is stacked against them, and they still need more assistance with education and health and the basic building blocks of a successful life. But the election of Barack Obama, many believe was the greatest accomplishment of all because it demonstrated that an African American could be elected President of the United States. And look, I ran against him and ran very hard against him, and he won fair and square. So I think it was a great tribute to the American people and the American system, and I hope that similarly in Brazil and other countries, that same kind of progress can occur. MS. BELTRAO: If I may, you said sexism still exists. Since International Women’s Day is upon us on March the 8th, and we have many examples of women in top government here in Latin America. You were with Michelle Bachelet. You were with Cristina Kirchner. And your career is an example, I think, for many women here. I’d like just a brief response about what are the advantages or disadvantages of being a woman in politics today? SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that Latin America has a number of examples of women coming to the top of the political system, and I know that a woman will be running here in Brazil for president as well. QUESTION: Two. SECRETARY CLINTON: Two women. QUESTION: Two women. SECRETARY CLINTON: So I think that is a very good sign of what is possible. But there are still a lot of barriers to women’s participation, some of them more psychological, some of them more cultural and historical. But again, we’ve seen a lot of progress but we still have to make sure that we stand against domestic violence, because it cannot be tolerated anywhere, anytime; that we make sure that schools and healthcare is open to girls as well as to boys. This is not as big a problem in our hemisphere as it is in other places in the world, but we still have work to do. QUESTION: (Via translator.) A very good evening, very nice, Secretary Hillary. I am a professor of (inaudible) law here. And I’m also a doctor in law here. Our dean explained very well what is happening in our supreme court here, the discussion about affirmative action, about quotas – racial quotas. What would you make as a technical recommendation to the supreme court so that the supreme court would be totally impartial in its discussion about racial quotas for universities? SECRETARY CLINTON: I do not know the details, the details of the case before your supreme court. But I know some statistics that are very significant, in my view. A statistic I was told today is that the Afro Brazilian population is slightly more than 50 percent of the country, but only two percent of the students in higher education in Brazil are Afro Brazilians. So that suggests to me that some special steps need to be taken to recruiting and admitting students so that they can have a chance to succeed. Affirmative action in our country was an opportunity to get in the door, not a guarantee that you would get the degree. I taught in a law school, and I taught students who had been admitted under affirmative action – African American students. And the students I taught were extremely motivated and very ambitious, but their educational training prior to law school often had not been good enough to prepare them to compete. So I spent a lot of time with my African American students, a lot of tutoring time, a lot of effort to help them be successful. And many of them succeeded, but not all of them. But I think what affirmative action should be is a recognition that historical barriers have shrunk the pipeline. Not very many people can get through it. So it needs to be opened up. And the education system is the passport to opportunity, so let more people into that. Give people a chance. I think that talent is universal, but opportunity isn’t. So the more you can universalize opportunity in a society as dynamic as Brazil, the more people will rise and the more the meritocracy will work. And in my discussion earlier this evening with the heads of these American companies based in Brazil, and they are Brazilians themselves, the point they made is that with the Brazilian economy growing, often the only thing holding it back is having enough qualified students who are engineers, who do IT, who can do the jobs of today and tomorrow. So the education system needs to expand affirmatively to get more people in. And then the final thing I would say, what I learned when I was a law professor is that it’s not fair just to admit students and then stand by and watch them fail. There have to be programs to help them succeed, because so many of them come with problems from the past. And so admitting on an affirmative action basis and then working to create as many success stories as possible is what I hope you will see happen. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Madam Secretary, good evening. I am Leonardo, and I would like to ask a question about subsidies to products. The U.S. is a developed country. Therefore, couldn’t it be a little more flexible when it comes to negotiating subsidies to certain products? Because if it did so, that would help developing countries. And that would help these countries develop on the social area, it would help these countries organize better, produce better, it would help these countries strengthen their economies. So both sides would gain if the U.S. was more flexible in subsidy negotiations. Did you complete your question? It’s a good question. Both – I got lost, says the questioner. So both countries, in this case, would – it would be a win-win situation. The U.S. on one hand would be the strongest partner, who in that case – maybe I would consider this question concluded. Okay. You have the question. SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that the point you make is an important one for all countries. I believe that there has to be more trade and open markets, but it’s also true that every country has their own political concerns. And so the United States is a very open market, probably, in my view, the most open in the world. But there are certain sectors within our economy that people are still trying to protect from global competition. And as in any country with a democracy, there’s political pressures. So we’re going to continue to do what we can to open our markets, and we’re going to ask other countries to open their markets. We’re going to take special action, like we have in Haiti, where textiles can come from Haiti totally duty free because we want to build up Haiti, which is such a poor country. And we’re going to negotiate with other countries like Brazil to create more openness. So your general point is a fair one, but as with so much, there’s political dimensions. And we have to negotiate, we have to trade, we have to work out how best to do it, but we’re in the midst of trying to do more of that with Brazil and other countries. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, just as recently as last week, a big number of Latin American and Caribbean countries, they have a new club. SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter). Yeah. QUESTION: Excluding you and the (inaudible). How do you understand that move? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that there’s a need for countries to come together in different formations. We have a North American club that consists of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. We have bilateral relationships and trilateral relationships with all kinds of countries. The United States doesn’t see any of that as unfortunate or threatening. We view better coordination and cooperation among countries as a plus. We have so much work to do in this hemisphere, that the more we can cooperate, that we can put past grievances behind us, that we can look for ways to solve problems together – for example, Haiti, every single country in the hemisphere, even the poorest ones have contributed something. So when countries come together and say we want to do more and cooperate more, the United States is for that. QUESTION: (Via interpreter). Good evening, Madam Secretary. Good evening to the journalists. Good evening, everyone. I am (inaudible). Unfortunately, I’m not a student here at Zumbi. I’m a lawyer, however. And not long ago, up to – not long ago, I was chairman of the non-discriminatory commission of the bar association of Brazil. Many of the questions I had to ask were answered, so I’ll ask something else. President Obama, in view of the crisis, has been working in a different way, compared to what the U.S. is to do before. So President Obama almost nationalized some businesses – almost, I said, of course. We know that American business do their business in the Unites States according to certain policies. So why wouldn’t we do it in such ways so that U.S. – oh, we know that in the U.S. businesses and corporations sometimes carry out public business policies, I mean, to promote better social conditions and racial conditions. Why not ask those companies -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that’s why I was very excited to meet some of the American companies here in Brazil who are doing exactly that. They are exercising what’s called corporate social responsibility. And that is an important part of the American business ethic. Most American businesses give back to their communities, they contribute to good causes, they support colleges and universities, hospitals, arts programs. And the American businesses here in Brazil, about 104 of them, have joined together to do that in Brazil. And I hope it’s contagious, because the more businesses can be in what we call public-private partnerships, the more people can be helped. Government can’t do everything. Business’s primary job is to make a profit through employing people and investing. But government and business working together can support a university like this, can look for other ways to help individuals and institutions do better. So you make a very good point that I’m very proud of American businesses that are corporate social responsible citizens, and I think we have to see more of that from the private sector because the public and private sector need each other. The private sector employs the students who graduate from the school systems, so they need a strong governmental commitment to education. The government can’t run unless business is successful and people are paying taxes and contributing to the well-being of the government. So public and private have to work together for the good of a country. And I think we’re seeing more of that in Brazil, and I’m very proud of the American businesses that are contributing to it. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) I am (inaudible), and I coordinate the law school of this university. Recently, the President – the President Barack Obama, mentioned Lula as a guy, a nice guy. And I would like to say that you, for being so nice to having accepted this, I would like to say that you are our guy, too. (Applause.) I would like to say that your participation here would be very, very important if we can convince the great American investors, as Professor (inaudible) says, if they could invest more and more in Brazil but if – with the clause that would demand that these corporations also invest in affirmative policies here. You look here, you can see that we have a very diverse nation here. However, opportunities are not the same for all of us here. Maybe your presence here will create a true revolution in the way that we will reach this opportunity and we will really conquer it. Thank you so much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you for those very kind words – (laughter) – and I am honored to be an honorary guy. (Laughter.) And I think your wish is one that I hope is fulfilled. Brazil is a global nation. Globalization has come to Brazil and Brazil has become a major player on the global stage. What the United States has found is that we have to invest in all of our people if we’re going to continue to be successful. And Brazil is exactly the same. So this university is a tangible example of that kind of investment. And I agree with you, perhaps my being here will bring this example to more people and more Brazilians will be very proud of this university, but also look close to home to see what more can be done in every part of the country to provide opportunity to all Brazilians. MR. WAACK: State Secretary, this is a question from the internet which, again, relates to what you just said about Brazil being a global player. Does it mean that Brazil will have to support to you in the Security Council, playing like the big guys do? SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.) Well, I think Brazil is a global player with an independent mind, just as the United States is. I mean, every country has to make a judgment about what is in their core interest, their security interest, their economic and political interest. And we work with Brazil on many, many issues. In the Security Council, where there will be a number of difficult problems, the most important in my opinion will be what we do about Iran – the first question, you asked me, William. And we are hoping to get enough support in the Security Council to send a unified message to Iran that they are perfectly free to have peaceful, civil nuclear power. But they are not, under the very agreements that they signed, entitled to a nuclear weapons program. And if Iran continues to move toward a nuclear weapons program, that will send a ripple through the Gulf, and the Arab nations there will think, well, if Iran has nuclear weapons, we’d better have nuclear weapons. And then Israel will think if Iran keeps saying that it wants to destroy us and it has nuclear weapons, we’d better do something about that. We want to avoid all of that. And we think the best way to avoid all of that is for the Security Council to vote for new sanctions on Iran to get their attention to change their behavior, and that’s what we are hoping to achieve and are working with many nations, including Brazil, to figure out the way forward. MS. BELTRAO: So you don’t see – I’m sorry, William – so you don’t see Brazil as a permanent member of the UN Security Council in the near future? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that – I hope there is UN reform and I hope there is reform in the Security Council. But that takes a lot of countries agreeing, and that is still in the formative stages. I would like to see it. The United States supports taking reforms in the United Nations, but there are a lot of countries with a lot of power that do not. So we have to, again, work – MS. BELTRAO: Adjust. SECRETARY CLINTON: -- to get them to agree. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. QUESTION: Good evening. My name is Tamezra. I’m an international relation student, and I have two questions. One of them is really quick and I will let it to the end. But first, I’d like to know your opinion regarding the Venezuela and United States relation, considering that there is a big difference between the political and economic context in this relationship. And my second question is regarding this book, Living History (inaudible) you wrote two years ago. I’d like to know if you could sign it to me before you go – (laughter) – and, if you don’t mind. It would mean a lot to me. MR. WAACK: She is smart. SECRETARY CLINTON: The second question’s very easy. Of course, I will sign it before I go. (Laughter.) QUESTION: Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: And anyone else who brought a copy, I’d be happy to. The first question, the United States would very much like to have a positive relationship with Venezuela. I’m sure some of you remember when President Obama went to the Summit of the Americas, he shook hands with Hugo Chavez. He exchanged words with him. He was reaching out to President Chavez. But there are many, many things which concern us about what is happening in Venezuela today. When I was in Brasilia and here today in this university setting, I see the free press that Brazil has. I saw it in very active participation in Brasilia where there were so many cameras and so many different reporters there. President Chavez is trying to stifle the press in Venezuela. If you say anything negative about him, he tries to shut you down. That is not the way a democracy operates. He is taking over companies and taking their assets and, unfortunately now, we see the results of those economic policies. There are electricity shortages in Venezuela, a country with oil. It makes no sense. So we wish for a better future for the people of Venezuela. We wish that their government would govern more in the interests of all of the people. We also wish that there would be less rhetoric and threats coming from Venezuela. But that is not our choice; that is their choice. And I can only repeat here what President Obama and I have said on many occasions: We want to have a positive relationship, but it’s difficult under the current circumstances. QUESTION: Very short, Madam State Secretary -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. QUESTION: President Obama is reaching everywhere, to the Muslim countries, to Iran, China, Chavez. It’s not working. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I don’t agree with that. I think that it’s working in many, many places, but it’s also exposing those governments and leaders who have a different agenda. When President Obama said on his inaugural day that the United States would reach out a hand to every country but they would have to unclench their fist, he meant it, and he has followed through. He has been very sincere. So what have we seen? We’ve seen great excitement and openness to this new approach in many parts of the world. President Obama is very popular in Latin America because I think the people see a person who wants to do right and who is working hard to achieve that. But there are leaders in countries who just want to rule the way they choose. They don’t want to make their people freer, they don’t want to take away special privileges from the elite and share it with the people, they don’t want to change. So I think we’ve exposed a lot. Many people said, well, the reason Iran hasn’t responded is because they didn’t like the former president. So President Obama said let’s change, let’s talk. There’s nothing coming back. So I think that this has been a very good policy both to show President Obama’s commitment, but also to reveal those who have a different agenda. MS. BELTRAO: We are – sorry – we are facing a presidential election in Brazil this year -- SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. MS. BELTRAO: -- so you were talking about concerns and leaders. Are there any issues in Brazilian politics or agenda that might be a concern for United States with the next president? SECRETARY CLINTON: No, no, because we have confidence in Brazil’s democracy. MS. BELTRAO: Okay. SECRETARY CLINTON: This is a vital, dynamic democracy. We think that the election will be exciting. I’ll follow it from the United States. And we believe that whoever is the next president will have a good relationship with the United States and we’ll continue to continue to work together. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Good evening, Madam Secretary. I’m Luciano. I’m a law student here in Zumbi and I also take care of teenagers that are in trouble. I wanted to ask you what is the policy in the United States to defend children, teenagers, and traffic in persons in the United States? What are the U.S. doing against that? And what is the U.S. doing about – we talked so much about not building bombs in the U.S., but how does President Obama react to what President Bush did in Iraq? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, let me thank you for helping teenagers. There are so many children and teenagers that need help. They don’t have perhaps families that care for them. They are in difficult circumstances, so thank you. And we in the United States are very committed to working against trafficking. This is a personal issue that I’ve worked on for many years. We have very strong laws against trafficking. We prosecute traffickers. We try to break up the rings that smuggle people across our borders. And we also put out a report every year that grades every country on how well the countries are doing, including ourselves this year. And we see some very positive trends. More and more countries are taking the trafficking of people, particularly children, seriously. They’ve got laws. They’re enforcing the laws. But some countries are still not willing to admit they have a problem, so we have to continue to work on this. But trafficking in human beings is modern day slavery. It should be condemned by everyone. Police should break up these rings and rescue people who’ve been trafficked into sexual slavery or into bonded labor. Prosecutors and judges should be very harsh on the traffickers. There should be programs to rehabilitate the people who have been abused by the traffickers. And I hope that we’ll see a groundswell of support for tougher programs against the traffickers. As to your second question, I think you know that President Obama is very different, has a very different approach to the world, and I believe that that’s one of the reasons he’s so popular around the world. QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Good evening, Madam Secretary, Marcos Leone. I studied terrestrial transportation here at this university. In Brazil, we have many roads. We have economic blocs here. We have Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, other countries as well as you have NAFTA in the north. And we, during this economic crisis, many economic blocs suffered. Suffered economic, suffered in terms of wages. What did the U.S. do in terms of transportation to face the crisis? Passenger crisis, passenger transportation as well as merchandise transportation. We changed the way we transported people and freight here in Brazil, and I think we should do a lot of reform in terms of transportation in order to be ready to fight against any possible upcoming economic crisis. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I agree, because I was late today, since there was an accident on the highway. MR. WAACK: No, it’s normal. SECRETARY CLINTON: It’s normal. MS. BELTRAO: Routine. SECRETARY CLINTON: So I’m all for better transportation in Brazil and in the United States as well. What we’ve done, because it’s a very good question – what we’ve done this past year in the Obama Administration is invest in more roads, invest in high-speed rail, invest in trying to upgrade subways and other passenger transportation. When President Obama submitted his stimulus bill to the Congress, a lot of the money in that went for transportation improvements, maintenance, and new forms of transportation. I don’t know how many hours a week people in Brazil lose to transportation holdups, but probably the average American loses a whole year in the course of his or her life, sitting in traffic, stopping in traffic, being delayed at airports that are clogged up, trains that are not running on time, all of the problems. So this is an issue for every country. And in the 21st century, it’s going to get even worse unless we plan ahead. So our country is trying to do that under President Obama’s leadership, and I think all of us are going to have to face up to the fact that we have to be more efficient in moving people and goods if we’re going to keep growing economically and realize the benefits of that growth. MR. WAACK: We have two minutes. (In Portugese.) QUESTION: (Via interpreter). Good night. My name is Medina. I’m a law student from (inaudible). And I also had a great opportunity to go to the United States as a U.S. (inaudible) scholarship holder, and I’m very grateful for that opportunity. I’m not sure if you are aware that the right of abortion does not exist in Brazil, not only its legal as it – also it’s a crime. And many, like, thousands of Brazilian women die every year from illegal abortions, making it the first cause of pregnant women death in this country. The right of abortion is also not accessible to all American women. What are the steps, what are the initiatives now throughout Obama’s term to make it – to change this situation in the United States? Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, President Obama and I believe in a woman’s right to choose. And President Obama has reversed policies from the prior administration that prevented women from making an informed decision. And he has also reversed what’s called the gag rule with respect to information going from aid programs to women around the world. And he’s also invested greatly in family planning services so that all women have a chance to exercise their own rights. This is an issue that I think is a social equity and social justice issue because wealthy women have rights in every country and poor women don’t. And I’ve written about this in my book, It Takes A Village. I visited a hospital here in Brazil back in the 1990s, and I’ll never forget one of the doctors telling me that this hospital that I visited was a hospital that had the best of feelings and the worst of feelings. And I said, “Well, what do you mean?” He said, “Well, half the hospital are women having babies, and they are so excited. And half the hospital are women who are suffering from illegal abortions, and they are very sad.” I’ll never forget that. And so I know that in every country, this is a decision for the people of the country, but I think it is something that needs to be carefully thought about because of the great effect it has on the numbers of children that poor women have that they can’t educate, feed properly, care for, the great toll that illegal abortions take, and the denial of women being able to exercise such a fundamental personal right. So President Obama has taken steps since he became President to give the right of choice to women and to do what we can to help avoid women having to make that choice, through better planning and better information and education. MR. WAACK: Very last question: When is President Obama coming to Brazil? (Laughter.) SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I will tell him he is very much invited. I heard that from President Lula and hear it from you and I will convey that to him. He’s working very hard to try to get healthcare reform passed in the United States. And having been a senator, I understand how hard that is. And he’s going to keep working at it until he gets it done, and then maybe he’ll be able to take a break and I know he would love to come to Brazil. MS. BELRAO: Secretary, you have been a senator, a first lady, you had a prominent legal career, Secretary of State now. Which was the hardest job, be a mom, maybe? No. SECRETARY CLINTON: I think being a mom is. I think it’s the most important job I’ve ever had, and it’s the one that gives me the greatest joy. My daughter is getting married this summer and I’m excited about that. So I’ve been a very fortunate person. I feel that I had so many advantages. I had a family that supported me. I had parents who believed that girls were just as valuable and could be their own people just as boys were. I had great teachers in my school. I had so many advantages. So I’ve been very blessed, and I’m very grateful for that. And I get to serve a country that I love and I get to work with a President who I admire, and I think that it’s a very special time in history. So I can’t be – I can’t be complaining about anything other than how hard the work is. But that is something that I relish. So I think all of you for having me at this university. I wish this university such great success. By the quality of the questions, you have a wonderful faculty and excellent students, and I hope that there will be very great things coming from this university in the future. And thank you for doing this with me tonight. MS. BELTRAO: Thank you very much. MR. WAACK Hillary, thank you for the conversation.
3 March 2010