Secretary Hillary Clinton gave this statement with Prime Minister Igor Luksic in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Well, it's a great honor for me to welcome the prime minister of Montenegro here to the State Department. I believe he's had already a very busy but productive set of meetings here in Washington, including with the Vice President. And we are very pleased to see the progress that Montenegro is making on a range of issues. We are very pleased too that Montenegro is moving toward being a partner in the Euro-Atlantic community, and we are going to be continuing to support all of the reforms and the efforts that the prime minister and his government are undertaking.

Prime Minister Luksic. Thank you very much. I think it's great to be in Washington, it's great to be in the United States. It is in a week in which we are expecting some positive news from Brussels, and it is actually an affirmation of Montenegro and Europe (inaudible), and we are very much looking forward to all the things that we have to do in the time to come in order to meet all challenges and respond to all challenges, as our ultimate priority is membership into the EU and membership to NATO, as we believe that Montenegro is a country that should share Western values.

And therefore, I'm grateful for the possibility to have to be here in Washington, and I'm also—I also remember a year and a half ago when I was (inaudible) my predecessor here as finance minister at that point, we were discussing the possibility of a visit to Montenegro. And we're still waiting for you, and we are very glad at any point to host you in my country.

Secretary Clinton. Thank you. Well, I'm looking forward to that at some point in the future. Thank you all very much.

Q. Madam Secretary, the terror plot—do you have anything to say about the terror plot, Madam Secretary, that was announced today?

Secretary Clinton. Well, I think that you saw the press conference that the attorney general and the director of the FBI and others gave announcing the disruption of this plot. It was a terrific achievement by our law enforcement and intelligence communities, and we will be consulting with our friends and partners around the world about how we can send a very strong message that this kind of action which violates international norms must be ended, and other areas where we can cooperate more closely in order to send a strong message to Iran and further isolate it from the international community will also be considered.

Secretary Hillary Clinton made these remarks with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in Valletta, Malta

Prime Minister Gonzi. Good morning. Thank you for joining us for this press statement. Once again, Excellency, Madam Secretary of State, it's a pleasure to have you here and to express at great (inaudible) my welcome to you for this visit to Malta. This has been an opportunity for us, once again, to reiterate the strong relationship and friendship that exists between Malta and the United States, a relationship that has grown over the years, strengthening from one circumstance to another and also finding its culmination, I must say, in the recent events that have happened in the Mediterranean region.

All of you are aware that events in the Mediterranean in these last 10 months, 11 months, have brought tremendous change, which we in Malta consider to be very good news for all of us. This is a transformation that is taking place. It is a historic event that has taken place, and history has demanded from Malta a specific role, which we have performed and tried to perform to the best of our abilities.

We see now that the phase of evacuation and violence is hopefully finished, and we see three countries—Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya—moving towards a path that hopefully will lead to a democracy, which the people of these countries with themselves, designed for themselves. And therefore, Malta will continue to provide and support in the widest manner possible.

And this was a theme which we discussed in some detail with Madam Secretary of State, and I am pleased to note that we are completely—in complete agreement on what needs to be done in the immediate circumstance, which is still a little bit of a humanitarian challenge, especially with what has been happening in Sirte and continues to happen, but also in the medium to long term and how—what contribution we can make, all of us, to see the whole scenario develop in the best interest, not only of our region, but I would say of the whole world.

We also spent some quality time discussing bilateral issues of importance. Malta is extremely grateful to the Government of the United States for the support we have received constantly on the issue of resettlement of immigrants and resettlement of these persons in the United States, and we appreciate the contribution, the help and support, the understanding that we've constantly received from the United States. We are also grateful that we have mentioned recent times to sign a (inaudible) agreement, a visa waiver agreement, all of which are clear indications of this strong relationship that continues to develop.

So I believe that this visit, once again, consolidates something which is already very strong, but prepares also an opportunity for us to continue to grow in the future. So thank you very much, Madam, and I leave the—it open for you.

Secretary Clinton. Thank you so much, Prime Minister. And I am pleased to be the first Secretary of State in the United States to visit Malta in more than two decades. It is, for me, the opportunity that I was seeking to thank the government and people of Malta for their extraordinary response to the events of this last year and to reaffirm the strong partnership and friendship between our two countries.

I'm also delighted to announce that President Obama has decided to nominate one of our most experienced diplomats, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, to be our ambassador here. We stand ready to assist in every way possible with Malta's critical role in the events of the Arab Spring and now the fall.

In our meeting today, I thanked the prime minister for Malta's assistance in evacuating American citizens and Embassy staff from Libya earlier this year. The prime minister, the entire government, and many private citizens went the extra mile to get our people home safely, and we are very grateful.

As you just heard from the prime minister, as someone who is on the frontlines of watching what is happening here in the Mediterranean region, he is very well acquainted with the challenges and opportunities that the people of Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and the greater region are facing. And in fact, I think that the prime minister has been particularly helpful in meeting with and counseling representatives of the new Libya over the last several months, as they look to build a new future for their country. There's no doubt that Malta will continue to play a critical role in helping to establish the rule of law and providing health and education services and to help create an inclusive government that will represent all Libyans from all areas of the country, and of course including the women of Libya. Malta's unique geography, history, and expertise will make it a valued partner in this work.

The prime minister and I also discussed our shared interest in keeping the Mediterranean safe from illicit nuclear materials and enforcing international sanctions against Iran's proliferation activities. The United States appreciates Malta's leadership in this area, including its work with the international community to interdict prohibited Iranian cargo, to deny port access to ships that are bearing illegal cargoes, and working as a good partner in the enforcement of United Nations sanctions. I also want to recognize Malta's efforts to stop the flow of human trafficking across the Mediterranean and to assist political refugees from conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa as well.

All of these efforts underscore that while Malta may be a small nation in size, its contributions to regional peace and security are significant. And the United States highly values this partnership, and we look forward to working even more closely in the future.

So, again, let me thank you, Prime Minister, for your leadership. Let me thank your government, with whom we have excellent cooperative relationships, and let me thank the people of Malta for not only their hospitality to me and my delegation, but more importantly their openness and support for the aspirations of the people in this extraordinarily important region. So thank you very much.

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Petr Neĉas gave these remarks at the White House.

President Obama. Well, I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to Prime Minister Neĉas and his delegation. This gives me a chance to return the hospitality that the Czech people have provided me on the two occasions that I've had an opportunity to visit. I've always been someone who not only wanted to visit but—wanted to visit the Czech Republic, but also because I come from Chicago—we've got a lot of people who are originally from the Czech Republic, and they've made enormous contributions to our country as well.

Let me say first at the top, the Prime Minister just came from Brussels, where he was part of the negotiations around the eurozone crisis. I'm glad to see that progress was made in the recent meetings. I think it is an important first step. We've seen that, although it's very complicated, obviously the countries of the eurozone and all of Europe are committed to the European project and are intent on making sure that it continues.

So we've seen that the message that they are going to deal with this in a serious way has calmed markets all around the world. It will help lay the predicate for long-term economic growth not only in Europe but around the world. The key now is to make sure that it is implemented fully and decisively, and I have great confidence in the European leadership to make that happen.

With respect to the relationship between the United States and the Czech Republic, it continues to be strong. The Czech Republic is one of our greatest allies and has provided the kind of support and cooperation on both security and non-security issues that is a mark of a true ally. As a fellow NATO member, we have consistently reaffirmed our Article 5 commitment that says that an attack on any one of us is an attack on all of us, and that we have to make sure that we continue to have the kind of strong mutual defense posture that's required. And the Czech Republic has reflected that commitment in the extraordinary efforts it has made in Afghanistan, for which we are deeply appreciative.

I will tell you that when you talk to American commanders in Afghanistan and you ask them who are some of our best and most effective partners, they consistently say the Czech Republic. And so we are very grateful for their contributions, and we are going to be working and collaborating with them as we move into a transition process where we increasingly make sure that Afghans are taking the security lead in their country.

We also are going to have an opportunity to discuss a range of economic and commercial ties and issues. We want to continue to deepen our relationship around research and development, around civil nuclear power, around how we can strengthen trade between our two countries. And so, over all, I think it's fair to say that, although the relationship between the United States and the Czech Republic economically is very strong, it can always be stronger. And we're going to look for additional opportunities for collaboration.

Finally, let me just say that the Czechs continue to inspire the world with their own transition from being behind the Iron Curtain to freedom and democracy. And so their strong stance on issues of human rights and democracy and freedom around the world is extraordinarily important. And I know the Prime Minister is committed to making sure that the Czech Republic continues to send a signal around the world, whether it's in the wake of the Arab Spring, or other countries where freedom and democracy have not yet been achieved, that they are able to continue to set a great example and provide the kind of leadership and technical assistance that's so important for many of these countries.

So, overall, Mr. Prime Minister, I want to thank you for your leadership not only in our bilateral relations, but the Czech Republic's leadership in many multilateral fora. We want to welcome you and I hope that you enjoy your stay here.

Prime Minister Neĉas. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind words. Thank you for your hospitality you have shown to me and to my delegation.

We are indeed allies in numerous endeavors in Europe and around the world. We are together in Afghanistan. We are ready to work together on the process of transition in this country.

We are preparing a major summit in Chicago, Mr. President's hometown, and also, as he stated, we have many Czech connections.

It will be necessary to create a framework for keeping our defense capability in the current economical situation. I would like to discuss the issue of the project to create a special helicopter pilot training center of excellence, as a part of a Smart Defense initiative within NATO.

We would like to discuss, of course, the economical situation—the situation on both sides of the Atlantic, vis-à-vis the current crisis of eurozone, and last but not least, the promotion of human rights and democracy around the world.

We would like to discuss our participation within Open Government Partnership initiative, and of course, a discussion concerning center for civil nuclear cooperation—because we do appreciate your strong leadership, your announcement that you'd like to have a vision of a world without nuclear weapons that was announced in Prague.

Thank you.

President Obama. Welcome.

Q. Mr. President, do you think that the deal in Europe will help prevent another recession?

President Obama. There has been progress. And so the key now is to make sure that there's strong follow-up, strong execution of the plans that have been put forward. But I was very pleased to see that the leaders of Europe recognize that it is both in Europe's interest and the world's interest that the situation is stabilized. And I think they've made significant progress over the last week. And the key now is just to make sure that it drives forward in an effective way.

But it will definitely have an impact on us here in the United States. If Europe is weak, if Europe is not growing, as our largest trading partner, that's going to have an impact on our businesses and our ability to create jobs here in the United States.

Thanks. Thank you so much.

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Petr Neĉas delivered this statement in Washington, DC

Presidents Obama and Prime Minister Neĉas. Building on the long friendship between our two countries, we met today to discuss how to strengthen and deepen our bilateral relationship and to examine how we can increase our cooperation in promoting common ideals and interests. The United States and the Czech Republic are NATO allies and partners in numerous joint endeavors in Europe and around the world. We agreed to further develop our relations in three main areas: security cooperation; economic and commercial ties, including civil nuclear energy cooperation; and cooperation in the promotion of democracy, open government and human rights around the world. Toward that end, we identified the following goals:

Negotiate and sign a reciprocal defense procurement agreement

Establish a center for civil nuclear cooperation

Cooperate in the implementation of the Open Government Partnership Initiative, which could lead to the establishment of an open government and democracy center in Prague

We discussed other important topics, including the global economic situation and energy security. We confirmed our support for safe and secure nuclear power, and agreed that nuclear power is not only important for ensuring energy security, but also for reaching our goals on reducing carbon emissions. We reviewed our cooperation in eastern Afghanistan, where our troops operate closely together in one of the most challenging areas of the country. We agreed that it will be important to maintain sufficient forces and funding during the transition to ensure that the Afghan National Security Forces are in a position to assume lead security responsibility in 2014.

We also reviewed plans for the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago, where we share the belief that the Atlantic Alliance needs to adapt to meet the security challenges of the 21st century. We agreed that we need to be more efficient in the use of our defense resources. Finally, we discussed our cooperation in supporting the transition in the Middle East and North Africa and in promoting democracy, open government and human rights around the world. We agreed that the Czech experience offers a powerful and compelling example to others struggling to build new democracies of how to conduct a peaceful and inclusive transition to a free and democratic society.

Secretary Hillary Clinton made these remarks with Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Good afternoon, everyone. It is a great pleasure to welcome the foreign minister of Greece here today. I have appreciated the opportunity to work with him and had now several occasions, including in Athens, to meet and discuss not only our bilateral relationship, which continues strong and very consequential to us both, but also regional and international matters, and of course, the international economic challenges that Greece, along with the rest of the world, is facing.

Tomorrow marks the 71^st anniversary of Oxi Day, when Greeks celebrate the freedom and courage of the Greek people. And today, Greece is being asked to summon its courage again. This time, the challenge is economic. The Greek people are making major changes and big sacrifices to return their country to financial health and economic competitiveness. And while those changes and sacrifices are certainly painful, they are necessary. And in the long run, they will benefit Greece and its partners, but most particularly the children and future generations of Greek citizens.

The United States applauds Greece's commitment to fiscal and structural reform. Decisive and bold actions in the EU are also critical to resolving the European economic crisis, and Greece's debt crisis in particular. Early this morning in Brussels, European leaders made vital decisions to address the significant and pressing economic challenges they face.

Greece is a longstanding and important ally of the United States. In ways large and small, life in our country is enriched by the energy and contributions of our many Greek Americans. And abroad, Greece and the United States share common goals for stability and prosperity in Southeastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The United States looks forward to broadening, deepening, and strengthening this already very vital relationship.

Stavros, thank you so much for being here.

Foreign Minister Lambrinidis. It is often said that friendships get tried during difficult times. And since these are indeed the Oxi Days, as you mentioned, Greece and the United States do know of difficulties. We have been together and stood by each other during difficult wars, and we are standing by each other today as well. I think that we will have a wonderful opportunity to discuss issues in our neighborhood and in our region that concern us both deeply, in which Greece has a very active involvement and a great desire to be able itself, through the EU, and with the U.S. to bring peace and stability that we all need.

So thank you very much for this opportunity to see you again after only a few months. When you came to Greece the first time that you came, I told you you were the first foreign visitor who came. And I wished that you would bring me luck. I can say that up to now, things have gone well for my country. The difficulties are there. As you mentioned, the Greek people are making a tremendous amount of sacrifices. I am grateful that (inaudible) will have the opportunity to recognize them. We know we have tough days ahead of us. We are changing our country, and Europe is indicating that it doesn't only have the ability but also the will to stand by us and to stand by the European Union project.

Thank you.

President Barack Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel gave these remarks in Cannes, France

President Obama. It's wonderful to be back together with my good friend, Angela Merkel. I think that the last time we were in Washington, D.C. together we presented her with the Medal of Freedom, and that indicated the high esteem that not only I, but the United States, hold her and her leadership.

This is going to be a very busy two days. Central to our discussions at the G20 is how do we achieve greater global growth and put people back to work. That means we're going to have to resolve the situation here in Europe. And without Angela's leadership we would not have already made the progress that we've seen at the EU meeting on October 27th.

We are now, having seen some progress, looking forward to working together to figure out how we can implement this in an effective way to make sure that not only is the eurozone stable, but the world financial system is stable as well. And hopefully during our bilateral meeting we'll also have the ability to discuss a wide range of other issues, including security issues that are so important to both our countries.

Chancellor Merkel. Thank you very much, and let me say that I'm delighted that we have the opportunity for this meeting here. And mainly, the G20 will afford us an opportunity, during these two days of meeting, not only to talk about European matters but also about global matters that matter to both of us and that are of common interest.

President Barack Obama and President Nicolas Sarkozy gave these remarks in Cannes, France

President Obama. This morning, President Sarkozy and I reaffirmed our strong and enduring ties, and I've said on many occasions that France is not only our oldest ally, but also one of our closest, and I consider Nicolas to be an outstanding and trusted partner on the world stage.

I think it's no surprise that we spent most of our conversation focused on strengthening the global economic recovery so that we are creating jobs for our people and stabilizing the financial markets around the world. The most important aspect of our task over the next two days is to resolve the financial crisis here in Europe. President Sarkozy has shown extraordinary leadership on this issue. I agree with him that the EU has made some important steps towards a comprehensive solution, and that would not have happened without Nicolas's leadership.

But here at the G20 we're going to have to flesh out more of the details about how the plan will be fully and decisively implemented.

And we also discussed the situation in Greece and how we can work to help resolve that situation as well. And the United States will continue to be a partner with the Europeans to resolve these challenges.

We had the opportunity to also talk about a range of security issues. One in particular that I want to mention is the continuing threat posed by Iran's nuclear program. The IAEA is scheduled to release a report on Iran's nuclear program next week and President Sarkozy and I agreed on the need to maintain the unprecedented international pressure on Iran to meet its obligations.

President Sarkozy. Well, you see Barack Obama's tremendous influence. For four years now, he's been explaining to me that to be a father to daughters is a fantastic experience—he who has two daughters. So I have listened to him. As a matter of fact, I followed his example.

I must tell you that we had a heavy agenda because there is no lack of subjects for our concern. We need the leadership of Barack Obama. We need the solidarity and the support of the United States of America. We need joint common analysis as to the way we can put the world back on the path of growth and stability.

Together, President Obama and myself are trying to build the unity of the G20. And I wish to pay tribute to the United States for understanding about all the issues we'll be discussing over the next 48 hours, and in particular, the issue of the Greek crisis—the difficulty that the euro is facing, the need to be hand-in-glove with the United States on the language of the final communiqué.

Again, I want to thank President Obama for his understanding on all matters, including that of a levy or a tax on financial transactions, where I think we found common ground, at least common analysis, mainly that the world of finance must contribute to solving the crisis that we are all facing today.

President Barack Obama gave these remarks in Cannes, France

President Barack Obama gave these remarks in Cannes, France

President Obama. Over the past two years, those of us in the G20 have worked together to rescue the global economy, to avert another depression, and to put us on the path to recovery. But we came to Cannes with no illusions. The recovery has been fragile. And since our last meeting in Seoul we've experienced a number of new shocks—disruptions in oil supplies, the tragic tsunami in Japan, and the financial crisis in Europe.

As a result, advanced economies, including the United States are growing and creating jobs, but not nearly fast enough. Emerging economies have started to slow. Global demand is weakening. Around the world, hundreds of millions of people are unemployed, or underemployed. Put simply, the world faces challenges that put our economic recovery at risk.

So the central question coming into Cannes was this: Could the world's largest economies confront this challenge squarely—understanding that these problems will not be solved overnight, could we make progress? After two days of very substantive discussions I can say that we've come together and made important progress to put our economic recoveries on a firmer footing.

With respect to Europe, we came to Cannes to discuss with our European friends how they will move forward and build upon the plan they agreed to last week to resolve this crisis. Events in Greece over the past 24 hours have underscored the importance of implementing the plan, fully and as quickly as possible.

Having heard from our European partners over the past two days, I am confidence that Europe has the capacity to meet this challenge. I know it isn't easy, but what is absolutely critical, and what the world looks for in moments such as this, is action.

That's how we confronted our financial crisis in the United States—having our banks submit to stress tests that were rigorous, increasing capital buffers, and passing the strongest financial reforms since the Great Depression. None of that was easy, and it certainly wasn't always popular. But we did what was necessary to address the crisis, put ourselves on a stronger footing, and help rescue the global economy.

And that's the challenge that Europe now faces. Make no mistake, there's more hard work ahead and more difficult choices to make. But our European partners have laid a foundation on which to build, and it has all the elements needed for success: a credible firewall to prevent the crisis from spreading, strengthening European banks, charting a sustainable path for Greece, and confronting the structural issues that are at the heart of the current crisis.

And here in Cannes we've moved the ball forward. Europe remains on track to implement a sustainable path for Greece. Italy has agreed to a monitoring program with the IMF—in fact, invited it. Tools have been identified that will better enable the world to support European action. And European finance ministers will carry this work forward next week.

All of us have an enormous interest in Europe's success, and all of us will be affected if Europe is not growing—and that certainly includes the United States, which counts Europe as our largest trading partner. If Europe isn't growing, it's harder for us to do what we need to do for the American people: creating jobs, lifting up the middle class, and putting our fiscal house in order. And that's why I've made it clear that the United States will continue to do our part to support our European partners as they work to resolve this crisis.

More broadly, we agreed to stay focused on jobs and growth with an action plan in which each nation does its part. In the United States, we recognize, as the world's largest economy, the most important thing we can do for global growth is to get our own economy growing faster. Back home, we're fighting for the American Jobs Act, which will put people back to work, even as we meet our responsibilities to reduce our deficit in the coming years.

We also made progress here in Cannes on our rebalancing agenda. In an important step forward, countries with large surpluses and export-oriented countries agreed to take additional steps to support growth and boost demand in their own countries. In addition, we welcome China's determination to increase the flexibility of the RMB. This is something we've been calling for for some time, and it will be a critical step in boosting growth.

Finally, we also made progress across a range of challenges to our shared prosperity. Following our reforms in the United States, the G20 adopted an unprecedented set of high-level financial reforms to prevent a crisis in the future. We agreed to keep phasing out fossil fuel subsidies—perhaps the single-most important step we can take in the near term to fight climate change and create clean-energy economies.

And even as our countries work to save lives from the drought and terrible famine in the Horn of Africa, we agreed on the need to mobilize new resources to support the development that lifts nations out of poverty.

So, again, I want to thank President Sarkozy and our French hosts for a productive summit. I want to thank my fellow leaders for their partnership and for the progress we've made to create the jobs and prosperity that our people deserve.

Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Clearly, there was some sort of dispute between you and the European leaders about how to fund this bailout. And you, in your remarks, emphasized the fact that TARP was done with U.S. funds, that there wasn't any international involvement here. Are you confident now that the European leaders are going to own this firewall or bailout fund themselves, not looking for handouts from other countries, and that they will do what they have to do?

And the second part of my question is, how hard was it to convince these folks to do stimulus measures when your own stimulus measure—you've mentioned it twice now—is not going anywhere right now on Capitol Hill?

President Obama. Well, first of all, we didn't have a long conversation about stimulus measures, so that was maybe two or three G20s ago. We had a discussion about what steps could be taken to continue to spur economic growth. And that may not always involve government spending. For example, the rebalancing agenda that I talked about is one way in which we can make a big difference in spurring on global demand. It requires some adjustments, some changes in behavior on the part of countries. But it doesn't necessarily involve classic fiscal stimulus.

It wasn't a dispute with the Europeans. I think the Europeans agree with us that it is important to send a clear signal that the European project is alive and well, and that they are committed to the euro, and that they are committed to resolving this crisis. And I think if you talk to European leaders, they are the first ones to say that that begins with European leaders arriving at a common course of action.

So essentially, what we've seen is all the elements for dealing with the crisis put in place, and we think those are the right elements. The first is having a solution to the specific problem of Greece. And although the actions of Papandreou and the referendum issue over the last couple of days I think got a lot of people nervous, the truth is, is that the general approach—which involved a voluntary reduction on the part of those who hold the Greeks’ debt, reducing the obligations of the Greek government—Greece continuing with reforms and structural change, that's the right recipe. It just has to be carried out. And I was encouraged by the fact that despite all the turmoil in Greece, even the opposition leader in Greece indicated that it's important to move forward on the proposal.

The second component is recapitalization of Europe's banks. And they have identified that need and they are resourcing that need. And that I think is going to be critical to further instill confidence in the markets.

And the third part of it is creating this firewall, essentially sending a signal to the markets that Europe is going to stand behind the euro. And all the details, the structure, how it operates, are still being worked out among the European leaders. What we were able to do was to give them some ideas, some options in terms of how they would put that together.

And what we've said is—and I'm speaking now for the whole of the G20—what we've said is the international community is going to stand ready to assist and make sure that the overall global economy is cushioned by the gyrations in the market and the shocks that arise as Europe is working these issues through. And so they're going to have a strong partner in us. But European leaders understand that ultimately what the markets are looking for is a strong signal from Europe that they're standing behind the euro.

Q. So you're discouraging them from looking for money—outside money?

President Obama. No, what we were saying is that—and this is reflected in the communiqué—that, for example, creating additional tools for the IMF is an important component of providing markets overall confidence in global growth and stability, but that is a supplement to the work that is being done here in Europe.

And based on my conversations with President Sarkozy, Chancellor Merkel, and all the other European leaders, I believe they have that strong commitment to the euro and the European project.

President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev gave these remarks in Honolulu, Hawaii

President Obama. President Medvedev and I have I think successfully established the reset of U.S.-Russia relationships—the U.S.-Russian relationship over the last several years. And it has borne concrete fruit in the form of the New START Treaty, the 123 Agreement, the work that we did together imposing sanctions on Iran, and most recently, the efforts that we've made on Russia's WTO accession.

Today, we had a wide-ranging discussion. It focused on a number of security issues where the U.S. and Russia have a significant interest. We discussed Afghanistan and our plan to transition, and the importance all the regional parties assisting the Afghan government in stabilizing the country for the benefit of the Afghan people.

We discussed Iran, and reaffirmed our intention to work to shape a common response so that we can move Iran to follow its international obligations when it comes to its nuclear program.

We discussed a number of world trouble spots, including Syria. And we discussed the importance of APEC and our common interest in assuring global growth and increased opportunity, business investment, commercial ties, and most importantly, job creation in both our countries.

Although it's not official yet, the invitation has been extended to Russia to join the WTO, as a testament to the hard work of President Medvedev and his team. We believe this is going to be good for the United States, for the world, as well as for Russia, because it will provide increased opportunities for markets in which we can sell goods and products and services, as well as purchase good, products and services without some of the traditional barriers.

And so we very much appreciate the cooperation and partnership that we forged around this issue. We think it's an example of the importance that both countries place on economic reform and economic growth.

And on my part, on my administration's part, this is going to be a good time for us to consult closely with Congress about ending the application of Jackson-Vanik to Russia, so that the U.S. businesses can take advantage of Russia's membership in the WTO, and we can expand commerce and create jobs here in the United States. So those consultations will be taking place in the weeks and months to come.

So, President Medvedev, thank you again for a constructive conversation. But more importantly, thank you for several years of constructive engagement with the United States.

President Medvedev. Aloha. Well, I would like to start by thanking Barack for this brilliant idea of hosting the APEC Summit here in his birthplace, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Not only is it a beautiful location but it also is a great opportunity to discuss all sorts of issues like we did today.

But today, my friend, Barack, and I discussed not only weather but also issues he outlined just recently. But I would like to start by thanking President Obama and his team for his active support and engagement in our accession process to the WTO. Moreover, we have never received similar support from any previous administration, and this is probably the explanation of why we've been acceding to the Organization since 1993. As has been recognized just now, Russia's accession is good not only for Russia itself or for the U.S. or other countries, but for the entire system of trade relations in the world.

Our global economy, global finance is surviving not the best of times. So the more coordinated actions we take, the less there are trade barriers. The clearer instructions we give to our trading ministries, the sooner we will be able to overcome recession, which, unfortunately, still continues globally. And the easier it will be to solve our unemployment, which remains our major problem.

This is why the summit of Asia Pacific region countries is of great importance, so that we can coordinate and integrate our ideas. And I am sure that it will be very successful at the highest possible level.

Today, apart from Russian accession to the WTO and the need to review Jackson-Vanik, we discussed with President Obama a number of international issues. I'm referring to the discussions we had about the Middle East, Afghanistan, Syria. We also spoke about Iran nuclear program, and discussed a number of other issues, including European missile defense. We agreed to continue a search for possible solutions, though we understand that our positions remain far apart. But over the recent years, we achieved progress on matters where there was no progress. Barack has just recalled the START treaty. If we manage to emphasize similar efforts on European missile defense, just like other issues, I'm sure we'll succeed.

I would like to express a full satisfaction with the past and present relations with the U.S. President. Our relations, and that's most important, have always been characterized by trust, and it is only when trust is present that we can resolve difficult tasks—and we did resolve some, although, much remains to be done.

And I thank President Obama again for the invitation.

Presidents Barack Obama, Herman Van Rompuy, and Jose Manuel Barroso gave the following remarks at the White House

President Obama. Good afternoon, everybody. I am very pleased to welcome Presidents Van Rompuy and Barroso to the White House. We have had several occasions to meet over the last year, but this is the first formal U.S.-EU summit that we've had an opportunity to have since the Lisbon summit last year.

Of course, much has changed over the last year. We've seen the incredible transformations that have been taking place throughout North Africa and the Middle East. What hasn't changed, though, is the fundamental bonds that exist between the European Union and the United States. Our common values, our common belief in the rule of law, in democracy, in freedom, in a free market system—all those things bind us together, as do the extraordinary economic and commercial relationships that we have and the people-to-people relationships that we have.

And so this is an extraordinarily important relationship. These aren't always the most dramatic meetings because we agree on so much that sometimes it's hard to make news. As the world's two largest economies and as each other's most important trading partners, we spent a lot of time focusing on how we can continue to grow our economies and create good jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. A large part of that conversation obviously revolved around the eurozone crisis, and Presidents Van Rompuy and Barroso have been very actively engaged with the heads of government and heads of state in Europe to try to resolve this crisis. I communicated to them that the United States stands ready to do our part to help them resolve this issue. This is of huge importance to our own economy. If Europe is contracting or if Europe is having difficulties, then it's much more difficult for us to create good jobs here at home because we send so many of our products and services to Europe; it is such an important trading partner for us.

And so we've got a stake in their success, and we will continue to work in a constructive way to try to resolve this issue in the near future. And I appreciate the leadership of both these gentlemen in trying to address this in a clear and forthright way.

With regard to security cooperation, we agreed to make sure that we continue to place pressure on the Iranian regime to stand down when it comes to the development of nuclear weapons, emphasizing that we continue to hope for a diplomatic resolution that allows them to use peaceful nuclear energy in a way that's consistent with their international obligations.

We have a shared stake in continued progress in Afghanistan, where the EU serves as a leading donor, and next week's Bonn conference will be an opportunity to make sure our security and development agenda is sustainable.

Meanwhile, with respect to aviation security, the EU has been extraordinarily cooperative, and in particular, thanks to the leadership of President Barroso and President Van Rompuy, we've been able to make progress in exchanging intelligence information that can keep our passengers safe and assure that we are preventing any kind of terrorist activity from taking place.

Finally, as global partners in support of universal values, we spent a lot of time discussing how we can be supportive of the best elements of what's taking place in North Africa and the Middle East, continuing to encourage democracy, continuing to encourage transparency, continuing to encourage economic development because we've both agreed that the aspirations that were expressed in Egypt and Tunisia and in Libya are not simply political issues but they're also economic issues, and that we have to do everything we can to support increased opportunity for young people. These are very young populations, and if they have a sense of a future for themselves where they can work hard and use their skills and talents to develop themselves and support their families, then the likelihood of a successful political transition will exist as well.

Of course, these problems don't only exist in the Middle East and North Africa. We discussed, for example, the situation in Belarus, where we stand shoulder to shoulder in wanting to see a return to the rule of law and the flowering of democratic practices there; in the Ukraine, where we agree that we want Ukraine to continue down a reform path, and we want to do everything we can to encourage that.

And so both on security issues, as well as on economic issues, we could not have a closer partner than the European Union. There are many issues that don't get a lot of attention—for example, our cooperation on clean energy and green jobs; our continued exploration of ways where we can get increased regulatory cooperation that can facilitate increased commercial ties—a whole range of work that's done by both the European Council and the European Commission that benefits our peoples directly in a multitude of ways.

President Van Rompuy. Let me make two points, one on the economy and one on the international issues. First, on the economy: We, the European Union and the United States, have the strongest trade and economic relationship in the world. And we therefore both need to take strong action to address the near-term growth concerns, as well as fiscal and financial vulnerabilities in order to strengthen the world economy. It is no secret the European Union is going through a difficult period. It is confronted with a confidence crisis, aggravated by the slowdown in global economic growth.

The Union has done a lot over the last 18 months, and we have taken decisions that were unthinkable just a year ago in the fields of economic governance, on budgets and imbalances, financial support, and financial regulation. All member states of the Union are all engaged in policies of fiscal consolidation and strengthening competitiveness via comprehensive reforms. But we have to do more.

We are therefore working hard on three fronts: dealing with the immediate crisis, the medium term, while also establishing a sound perspective for the longer term. The 9th of December I will present to the heads of state and government a roadmap on how to strengthen the economic union of the euro area commensurate with our monetary union. We are aiming for binding rules to ensure strong fiscal and economic discipline in all countries, to go hand in hand with fiscal and economic integration—not only discipline, but also integration in the euro area as a whole.

Improving fiscal sustainability is essential, but it's not enough. Promoting growth and employment is a challenge we share with the United States. The European Union is following a two-track approach on growth: We want to strengthen fiscal sustainability, while at the same time stimulating economic growth and employment by launching reforms, raising competitiveness, and deepening the Union's single market, the largest in the world.

But slower global growth is not only due to the problems in the eurozone. Others have to do their part of the job, too—for instance, on exchange rates and on implementing the commitments made in Cannes, at the G20, earlier this month.

My second point regards international challenges. Not since the end of the Cold War has the world seen such a degree of transformation in global affairs. And I'm happy to say that during the last two decades, the world is going in our direction—towards market economy and democracy. In Europe, in Latin America, in Africa, in Asia and now in the Arab world, sudden events and slow-moving trends bring us into a new world—in the Pacific and in the Mediterranean—and we welcome the new global governments in the G20, reflecting the growing influence of emerging countries as well as their new responsibilities.

As the President said, Europe's relationship with the United States is built on shared fundamental values. These will continue to provide the basis for our cooperation and our alliance. Since the end of the Cold War, there is no East anymore, but there is still a West. The EU's priority is its neighbors, to the south and to the east.

On the south: We worked together with the United States in supporting the economic and political transition process in the Arab world in the wake of the Arab Spring. In Libya, European action was given full support by NATO and by the United States. We both welcomed the democratic elections in Tunisia and in Morocco. In Egypt, we call for a peaceful, democratic and successful transition to civilian rule. The unacceptable situation in Syria has prompted the European Union to call on the international community to join its efforts in imposing additional sanctions.

And on the east side: The EU and the

U.S. worked hard to make Russia's accession to the WTO possible. I believe this will promote world trade and support Russia's modernization. And we also agree on the need to remain actively engaged with our Eastern partners in Europe, and to advance their political association and their economic integration with the European Union. We, however, share the strong concern about the latest signs of politicized justice in Ukraine. The democratic aspiration of Belarusian people also needs to be met.

A word on the Western Balkans: These countries belong in the European Union. We are making progress. And the EU will sign the Accession Treaty with Croatia next month.

On Iran, we need to step up pressure. The Union is preparing new restrictive measures, and in Afghanistan, we reaffirm that the Union is engaged in the long term, even after 2014.

Mr. President, let me conclude: Europe and the United States remain partners of first and last resort. Our entente cordiale was a mainstay in the past, and it will remain so in the future.

President Barroso. [I]f there is a silver lining to all of this, it is perhaps that it has shown just how interdependent our economies now are. As President Obama just said, it is a fundamental interest of all of us in the world to solve these euro area problems. Therefore, we need to work ever more closely together. The European Union and the U.S. have the largest bilateral economic relationship in the world. Together, our economies account for around 50 percent of the world's GDP, and one-third of total world trade.

European Union and U.S. trade and investment generates 15 million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition, Europe accounts for approximately 70 percent of foreign direct investment in the U.S., and U.S. investment is three times larger in Europe than in Asia.

So to help ensure that the transatlantic economy can be an engine for the recovery of the world economy, the European Union and the U.S. have today decided to gather a high-level working group for jobs and growth. On the European side it will be shared by commissioner for trade; on the American side, U.S. trade representative. These groups will examine how to strengthen the European Union/U.S. trade and investment relationship, and in so doing, boost growth and job creation.

This is indeed the first priority: growth and jobs. We have to solve the other issues so that we can re-launch growth and jobs in Europe. I believe this will allow us to further benefit from the untapped potential of our existing strong economic ties. We know that today's world is not just about economy, it is also about values and standards. The European Union and the U.S. share a firm belief in freedom, democracy, human rights—they are the hallmarks of all societies and what binds us together. And the sweeping transformations that are now taking place in the Middle East and North Africa confirm that the values we share are, indeed, universal.

When given a choice, people everywhere choose freedom over oppression, democracy over tyranny. It is in the basis of these values that I believe our relationship will go forward. And today's meeting was a very important, substantive meeting in that direction. I thank you very much.

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Mark Rutte gave these remarks in Washington, DC

President Obama. Hello, everybody. It is wonderful to welcome Prime Minister Rutte and his delegation to the White House

Part of the reason we wanted to make this meeting happen is because we have no stronger ally than the Netherlands. They consistently punch above their weight on a whole range of issues related to global security. Prime Minister Rutte has been a strong supporter of NATO, as was his predecessor, and we've been able to work together on a whole host of issues. They've made an enormous contribution to Afghanistan; they made a very important contribution to Libya; on antipiracy. On a whole host of issues, the Netherlands consistently is supportive of efforts for our joint security, and we're very grateful for that.

In addition, despite the fact that the Netherlands doesn't have a huge population, they are one of our most important trading partners. The economic relationship between our two countries is deep; it is broad. We are one of the largest investors in the Netherlands. The Netherlands, in turn, is one of the largest investors in the United States. And so, given both of our interests in promoting commerce, growth and jobs, it is very important that we coordinate with the Netherlands.

On that score, obviously, we're both concerned about the situation in the eurozone, in which the Netherlands has a very significant voice. And I'm going to be interested in hearing from Mark his views in terms of how this issue gets resolved. Because, as I said yesterday during my meeting with Presidents Van Rompuy and Barroso, we have a very deep interest here in the United States in making sure that that process is resolved, so that we can continue to grow our economy and put people back to work here at home.

In addition, we're going to be talking about a wide range of global issues, from the Middle East to the situation in Iran, where we both share a deep commitment to making sure that Iran abides by its international obligations, including in the nuclear area.

On that score, I think it's important for me to just note that all of us, I think, are deeply disturbed by the crashing of the English embassy—the embassy of the United Kingdom in Iran. That kind of behavior is not acceptable. And I strongly urge the Iranian government to hold those who are responsible to task. They have a responsibility to protect diplomatic outposts. That is a basic international obligation that all countries need to observe. And for rioters, essentially, to be able to overrun the embassy and set it on fire is an indication that the Iranian government is not taking its international obligations seriously.

And so, obviously, we're deeply concerned about that situation and we expect to see some sort of definitive action sometime very quickly.

Overall, though, I'm pleased to say that the relationship between our two countries is extremely strong, as reflected not only in the relationship between our governments but also the people-to-people contacts.

Prime Minister Rutte. These are the main issues at the moment.

And, first of all, of course, our excellent economic ties —bilateral economic ties: 625,000 Americans are at work today because of our direct investment in the U.S. and, of course, our trade relationship. And the total investment of the U.S. in the Netherlands is more than the U.S. investment in Brazil, Russia, India and China combined. And I believe we can work very hard to have this job engine grow even more powerful.

Secondly, we'll discuss, no doubt, the eurozone. It's the intention of my government to keep the eurozone intact, to keep the euro intact, to fight the debt crisis, and at the same time, get growth and job growth going again in the European Union, which is vital for our own—for our future.

And thirdly, we will discuss, I have no doubt, the upcoming NATO Summit, in your hometown, in Chicago—

Secretary Hillary Clinton gave these remarks in Vilnius, Lithuania

Secretary Clinton. Well, good afternoon, and let me begin by thanking Yuri and all of you for being here today. I also wish to thank the Tolerance Center for hosting us. There could hardly be a better setting for this meeting. And I think the work that civil society is now doing—the Parallel Conference, the recommendations, the Civic Solidarity commitment, the Internet Fundamental Freedoms Initiative—all of that added together is going to help fill that gap, which I agree does exist.

And if one looks back over the last 50 years, the Helsinki commitments were among the most important human rights statements and drivers of action that we found anywhere in the world. And I wish that they were no longer needed. I wish that we could bid them farewell because they had done their job. But the fact is—and you know this better than anyone—we see them even more necessary today because of some of the trends that are developing.

Across the OSCE region, what you do and the organizations that you are part of and lead are helping to define the front lines of the struggle on behalf of human rights and democracy for the 21^st century. I should begin by saying I know your work is incredibly difficult. I know that the times in which you are working are increasing challenging and even dangerous. I know that funding is scarcer than it should be and that there are governments trying at every turn to undermine what you do and what you stand for.

But please know that the United States supports your efforts, because we think that the work of civil society is more important than ever. If we needed reminding on the events of this last year, particularly in Belarus but also in North Africa and the Middle East and elsewhere, demonstrates unequivocally that peace and stability depend just as much on meeting people's aspirations for dignity, freedom, and opportunity as they do on military security.

And the change that we're now seeing has such great potential to move the world ever closer to full equality and human rights for everyone. Technology is making it easier to come together to take common actions. Individual activists have transformed societies from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya. But we don't yet really know the outcome of so much of what is going on today. Will it advance the cause of human freedom and dignity, or will it not? And certainly, I've raised a number of issues at this morning's ministerial that are deeply concerning to us: violations of the freedom of expression, association, assembly, religion; perversion of justice; attacks on human rights defenders and journalists.

And as we meet in this Center of Tolerance, there are just too many people, even in the OSCE region, who are being denied their rights and living in an atmosphere in which intolerance seems to be on the rise. Minorities, religious minorities, Jews, Roma, LGBT communities—all of them and other vulnerable people are facing prejudice and even violence.

And I wanted to commend what civil society is doing here in Lithuania. Eight leading civil society organizations have formed a national coalition to promote tolerance. I think that's very timely. And it's not only beginning already to have an impact, but it demonstrates the kind of collaboration we need more of.

Governments need feedback—certainly governments within societies but, of course, governments outside that can be your allies in trying to promote change. We used to measure government accountability by the metrics of multiyear election cycles, annual assessments by international organizations. But today, with Tweets and text messages, blog posts, interactive maps, civil society is making judgments in real time. And I welcome this new Civic Solidarity Platform because I think it will upgrade the ability that we need for human rights monitoring throughout the region.

Now, unfortunately, a number of governments continue to view civil society as adversaries instead of partners. We've just witnessed a flawed Duma election in Russia, including efforts to halt the election monitoring by Golos, a respected independent civil society organization. And Golos's work is exactly the type of activities that countries committed to the rule of law should welcome and countries that are members of the OSCE signed up to support. It is strictly nonpartisan; its only goal is to promote elections that are transparent and fair. But in the last few days, its members have been hauled into court, its website has been subjected to massive cyber attacks, and its motives have been maligned.

So for us, it is just an article of faith that democracy is not only about elections; but in the absence of free, fair, transparent elections, it's hard for democracy to be sustained.

And I wanted to speak clear that regardless of where you live, citizenship requires holding your government accountable. And those of us in government may not always like the hard questions. We may not appreciate the criticism. It does seem sometimes to those of us on the other side in government that we'll never satisfy civil society. But that's the kind of necessary and healthy tension that should exist in a democracy in order to sustain trust and progress, to uphold the rules that govern democratic societies, first and foremost, the rule of law. And in fact, allowing groups like Golos to do their work is a really critical part of sustaining trust and faith in government and enabling leaders to be able to govern.

So the other initiative that Yuri talked about, which is the cyber space initiative, is especially important because cyber space, after all, is the public square of the 21^st century. I said earlier that today's activists hold the Helsinki Accords in one hand and a smart phone in the other. And that has unnerved a lot of governments, so governments are now working overtime to try to suppress access to the internet, free assembly and association, and speech within cyber space. And that's one of the reasons why the United States and about two dozen other delegations have pressed for the adoption of a declaration on fundamental freedoms in the digital age, because we believe human rights need to be respected both online and off.

So I know you've been working hard for several days now, and I really, first and foremost, want to thank you for caring enough and being committed enough to come to Vilnius to be part of this civil society effort, and to encourage you to continue because we need you now more than ever.

And I want to say a special word about Belarus. I was just privileged to meet with a number of activists, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, NGO leaders from Belarus, who are working so hard to restore a sense of human rights, freedom, and dignity to the Belarusian people. I travel around the world talking about human rights. Mike Posner conducts human rights dialogues in many places where there's a long way to go before human rights are even acknowledged. We understand that and we know we have to travel this long journey together. Mike was with me in Burma just a few days ago, where we see slight flickers of progress and where we want to support them.

But it is absolutely inconceivable that in Europe today, in December of 2011, the Lukashenko regime is behaving as it is behaving. And therefore, we all have a stake in speaking out even more forcefully, raising even greater public concern in Europe, the United States, and beyond, to make it unequivocally clear to the Lukashenko government that their behavior is unacceptable and they have to begin to reflect and respect the aspirations of the people of Belarus.

So I will look forward to working with you. I thank you for giving me this homework, Yuri. I will take it and work through it with you, along with my colleagues. And I will take very seriously your point about making sure that the gap between stated commitments and actual actions in the OSCE is narrowed and not widened in the year ahead.

Thank you all very much.

Secretary Hillary Clinton gave these remarks at meeting with Slovakian Foreign Minister Mikuláŝ Dzurinda at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

Secretary Clinton. I am very pleased, Minister, that we were able to do this. It has been a very important bilateral matter that our respective governments have worked diligently on. And it is an incredibly significant subject, combating the smuggling of nuclear and radioactive materials. There is no greater threat to the safety and security of our world than preventing nuclear or highly radioactive materials coming into the hands of terrorists, and it's a danger that no one country can protect against on its own. And today, Slovakia has made an important commitment to our collective efforts, and we are very appreciative.

My country has now signed nine such agreements with other countries around the world, but this is the first one we have signed with an EU nation and a NATO ally. So this agreement reflects Slovakia's strategic importance as a gateway to the EU as well as your government's commitment to exercising leadership in advancing nuclear security.

As you already have heard, this agreement takes the form of an action plan. It specifies more than 40 steps our two governments intend to take to strengthen our mutual capacity to prevent, detect, and respond more effectively to the threat of nuclear smuggling. The United States has guaranteed our efforts to work with you to make sure that it's not only the two of us working together but our neighbors, and particularly Slovakia's neighbors, because in a networked world like the one we live in today, all nations have to be committed to this joint effort.

So, Mr. Dzurinda, I am grateful to you for your leadership, to the people and Government of Slovakia, and thank you for being here with me for this important signature.

Secretary Hillary Clinton and Secretary William Hague gave these remarks in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Good afternoon, and let me again welcome the foreign secretary here to Washington and to the State Department. It is a special pleasure to see him at the end of a year in which we cooperated so closely and constructively together. We've had a very robust shared calendar as we've tackled these global challenges every single day of this entire year, it seems. And we've met on many previous occasions, both bilaterally and then through a multitude of multilateral engagements. So it's good to review and look forward at this time of year.

We will be meeting again, we've already concluded, numerous times in the first half of next year. And obviously, we have a lot to talk about whenever we do meet. Our meeting today reflected a wide array of shared concerns and challenges, including the economic crisis in Europe, the embassy—attack on the UK Embassy in Iran, the transition in Afghanistan, the situation in Pakistan, the evolving situations in Burma, North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and so much more. We lost track of all of the matters which we went over today.

We naturally discussed the decisions regarding Europe's debt crisis, and we have a—as we've said many times, a great stake in a speedy resolution. We support efforts to enact pro-growth reforms, and we will continue to work closely with our European partners. We discussed the ongoing efforts to press the Iranian Government to meet all of its international obligations. The attack on the British Embassy was an affront not only to the British people, but to the international community. Governments owe a duty to protect diplomatic lives and property, and we expect the Government of Iran to do just that both inside and outside of Iran. That is why we strongly supported the UN General Assembly's resolution deploring the plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador here in Washington. And we're working together on additional sanctions, and the great work that the foreign minister and the Government of the UK has done with us at the IAEA to express nearly unanimous concern about Iran's nuclear program.

Afghanistan was a big part of the discussion today, following up on our meetings in Bonn and the ISAF meeting in Brussels at NATO. The British and American men and women of our armed forces have literally stood and fought side by side and have reversed the Taliban momentum on the battlefields. And our diplomats and development experts have likewise stood shoulder-to-shoulder to try to help the people of Afghanistan realize a better future. As we talk about transitioning security, we look very clearly at the goal that was set at the Lisbon summit. This transition is a new phase of support for Afghanistan, not the end of our commitment, and we will stay very closely connected as we move through this period as well.

I welcomed the news that the foreign secretary will be going to Burma. I think we have a real opportunity through sustained diplomacy to test the new government and to work toward the resolution of outstanding problems that prevent that country from achieving its rightful place in the community of nations for the 21^st century. And there's a very clear path forward if they wish to follow it. We of course discussed the Middle East and, in particular, Syria. We've worked closely together to increase the pressure on the Asad regime. We welcomed the recent action by the Arab League. I met with members of the Syrian opposition last week. We encourage other Arab leaders to meet with them as well and continue our support for peaceful protest and reform inside Syria.

And we compared notes on the parliamentary elections in Egypt. The Egyptian people are justifiably proud to begin the process of choosing their new leaders. We urge the Egyptian authorities to ensure that free and fair voting continues through the next election rounds, and that there be a steady transition toward a new civilian government. And at the same time, we call upon the continued protection of peaceful protestors and holding those accountable for previous incidents of violence.

So this is just a snapshot of our very lengthy and substantive conversation. So again, Foreign Secretary, welcome back to Washington.

Foreign Secretary Hague. Well, thank you very much indeed. Ladies and gentlemen, it's a great pleasure as always to be here in Washington with Secretary Clinton. The United States of America is our closest and our indispensible ally in foreign policy. And as ever, we've had a good meeting of minds as we discussed this very broad range of challenges that we face. As everyone knows, we've had in 2011 a momentous year in world affairs, and I think we've risen to these challenges with confidence. Our joint efforts in Libya, for instance, to save lives benefitted from the seamless cooperation in diplomacy and in defense, which is one of the distinctive hallmarks of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

2012 is set to throw up challenges in foreign policy that could be more demanding and complex still, and we must be ready for those. Britain is determined to play its full part alongside the United States, standing shoulder to shoulder and building on our shared values, our sense of common purpose, our mutual resolve.

As you've heard from Secretary Clinton, our discussions today have ranged over a very wide range of subjects. We've discussed the economic situation in Europe, in particular in the Eurozone. And in the United Kingdom, as our prime minister has said in parliament today, we want to see the Eurozone stabilized. That involves far more than simply greater medium-term fiscal integration. Important though that is, the markets wants to be assured that the firewall is big enough for the Eurozone and that banks are adequately recapitalized, that the—that countries like Greece have adequately dealt with the problems.

We cannot sign a European treaty that does not give adequate protection to the single market in Europe, but we're not changing our relationship with the European Union, and we will work with our European partners over the coming months on the need for the EU to remove barriers to trade, to complete the single market, to conclude free trade agreements around the world. These remain the most important way for Europe to compete and address economic problems and generate essential growth.

As you've heard, we share a growing concern with the United States about the situation in Syria and the deplorable violence orchestrated by the regime. We welcome the continued efforts of the Arab League and call on the international community to unite in its condemnation of events in Syria.

Our talks reaffirmed our countries’ close understanding of the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program. I particularly thanked Secretary Clinton for her robust support over the recent attacks on our embassy in Tehran, and we shared our latest thinking on the expansion of sanctions against Iran. This includes European Union consideration of measures against the Iranian energy sector as part of the pressure on Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear ambitions.

We discussed the Middle East peace process and the need for a return to negotiations. That cannot safely be delayed. I briefed Secretary Clinton on our preparations for the London conference on Somalia in February. We need a stronger international approach to the crisis there and to seize the opportunity now to address the root causes of terrorism, instability, piracy. We will spend a lot of time and attention on this in the early months of 2012, and see it as a key priority for next year, and I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Clinton on this.

We reviewed progress on Afghanistan in the light of the Bonn conference, which we both attended last week. Ten years on, great strides have been made. Our goal now is to consolidate them so that the Afghan people can take control of their own security from 2014. And Britain will continue to work closely with the U.S. and with our other partners in Afghanistan as we work towards the very important Chicago summit to be held in May.

We've discussed the protests that we've seen in recent days in Moscow. It's clearly important that the Russian Government investigates the allegations of alleged abuses, and we welcome the commitment of President Medvedev to do so.

We also agreed the international community must show strategic patience in the Western Balkans, which Secretary Clinton has rightly described as unfinished business. And we strongly support that region's integration within Euro-Atlantic structures and the resolution of outstanding issues. We share a common commitment to the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a single, sovereign state. And we discussed ways in which we can intensify our efforts, working with the Office of the High Representative, the European Union, and other nations to help that country turn a new page in 2012.

We've discussed our diplomacy in the Asia Pacific region and the United States announcements about that region in recent weeks, and in that regard, I particularly welcome Secretary Clinton's recent visit to Burma. Our common objective is to see political freedom in Burma, and constructive engagement which helps further that goal is very important. I will visit Burma in early January, and we will remain in close contact with the U.S. on this issue, as on all the other issues that I've mentioned in the coming months.

In all of these areas, Britain doesn't have a more important ally than the United States, and I look forward to all our work together over the coming year that is as effective and durable in its consequences as it has been this year and in so many other years before it.

Thank you very much indeed.

Secretary Clinton. Thank you.

Moderator. Okay. Four questions today, first one from BBC (inaudible).

Q. Thank you. Two questions for you: First, Secretary Hague, I know you've just said that the UK's not changing its relationship with the EU. But do you believe that the British Government's decision on the Eurozone diminishes Britain's influence in Europe and perhaps in the world?

And a question for both of you: Secretary Hague, you've also just said that you welcome the investigation into the allegations of fraud in the elections in Russia. Do you trust—do you both trust that the results will be what is required, and will it allay the concerns of the protesters? What do you think the Russian authorities should do beyond an investigation to address those concerns?

Foreign Secretary Hague. Well, on the—taking the second question first, of course, that will depend on the investigation and what it produces and how it is conducted. It's important that such investigations take place, so I think it is right, as I've said, to welcome the willingness of the Russian Government to do that. Clearly, as nations that believe in democracy and freedom of speech and political freedom, we want to see such investigations take place as transparently and as fully as possible, but I think that it's impossible to judge them in advance.

On the question of the European Union, no, I don't agree with the thrust of your question. On all of the issues that we've just been describing, all the foreign policy issues in dealing with Iran, pressure on Syria, on how to take forward the Middle East peace process, the European Union is an important player—very important player in the world and in those—and determining the European Union attitude on all of those issues, the United Kingdom plays an absolutely central and leading role.

We also do so in pushing forward the single market in Europe, in championing free trade agreements such as the one we signed with South Korea earlier this year. And all of that continues; that doesn't change because we choose not to participate in one set of arrangements which are not adequate for us. That's not a new thing to do. The United Kingdom did not join the euro, and we're pleased we did not join the euro. We're not part of the Schengen border arrangements, and we're very satisfied that we're not. Europe can develop in a way in which there are overlapping circles of decision-making. And not every nation has to participate in everything.

But that doesn't alter our central role in driving forward European policy on the whole range of subjects that I've just described.

Secretary Clinton. I would just add to what William already said about Russia. We were pleased that the protests yesterday were peaceful. We think that's a very good sign. There were dozens of them across the country. And the fact that the government has announced that it is willing to investigate allegations of fraud and manipulation associated with the December 4^th Duma elections is a good sign and a reassuring position for the Russian people.

But the proof is in the pudding. We'll wait and see how they conduct such an investigation, what the consequences are. They have a good roadmap coming from the OSCE which has set forth a number of recommendations. So we're supportive of the announcement of investigations, and now we hope that it will be followed through on.

Moderator. Next question, (inaudible) of the London Times.

Q. (Inaudible) from the Times. Last week an American general in Baghdad said that he wasn't sure what would happen in Iraq after the last American troops have left. After December the 31^st, your own Department, Madam Secretary, will be, as it were, in charge of American interests in Baghdad and in Iraq. How confident are you that Iraq is going to turn into the sort of country perhaps you had in mind when this all began?

Secretary Clinton. Well, we have been having very intensive discussions with President—with Prime Minister Maliki and various ministers of his government starting last night, going through into the morning in the Oval Office with the President, and we certainly are looking forward to a normal relationship between two sovereign countries.

The outline for our actions was set prior to this Administration coming into office in 2008, when the Bush Administration agreed that our military presence would end at the end of this year. That is going to happen. We hope, in fact, that our troops will be out in time for Christmas. And then we will be taking, on a case-by-case basis, requests for additional assistance, of which there are many coming from the Iraqis. Certainly in the security and the military training arena, there is quite a long list of requests, and we are looking forward to evaluating those and fulfilling them wherever possible.

We are going to be working on police training, which is getting underway. We have a number of agreements that have been worked on under the strategic framework that was adopted back in 2008. So we're on the path to meet our commitment to withdraw all U.S. military personnel even as we maintain a robust civilian presence under State Department leadership that'll include diplomats, business and development experts, security assistance experts, law enforcement officers, and others from civilian agencies across the United States Government. They will be working out of our Embassy in Baghdad, out of our consulates general in Erbil and Basra, our diplomatic presence in Kirkuk, and they will be protected, as our civilians are in many places in the world, by contracted security personnel. That's a very common practice.

So again last night and today, our Iraqi partners made clear that they want a relationship that is deeper and broader than a military relationship, and we are working to achieve that.

Q. Madam Secretary, could I just ask you, does Britain's new position in Europe concern you, especially given the historic bridge that the UK has offered between Europe and the U.S.?

Secretary Clinton. I have to say it does not. I think that the role that the UK has played in Europe will continue. And we, of course, welcome that. And our concern has not been over the position that the UK has taken, it's whether the decisions made by other members of the Eurozone countries within the EU will work, and we want to encourage that. We are very hopeful and supportive that this latest set of actions will send the right signals and have the results that are being sought. So I separate out the economic issues—which, as William said, the UK has never been a party to the euro, so that's not something that's particularly going to change—from the political work that we do almost every day with the UK and with the EU. So I don't see any spillover there at my view.

Thank you.

Secretary Hillary Clinton and President Atifete Jahjaga gave the following remarks in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Good afternoon, and it's such a great pleasure to welcome President Jahjaga here to the State Department. I have had the opportunity of meeting with her in the past, most recently in September during the United Nations General Assembly, and I am always pleased when we have an opportunity to consult and discuss matters of great importance to both of our countries.

To Chairman Warren Miller and other members of the United States Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, as well as the ambassador from Kosovo to the United States, this is a really important agreement that we are signing today, because the United States has a special interest in helping to preserve cultural heritage sites in countries around the world, because the vast majority of Americans are immigrants and descendents of immigrants. So the work of this commission is of great importance to us.

First, I want to say a word about the president. As I have consistently, I conveyed on behalf of the United States the strong and continued support of our country for Kosovo's sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that the future Kosovo is attempting to chart is of critical importance first and foremost for the people of Kosovo but also for the entire region. And I welcome the European Union's decision earlier this month that we hope helps pave the way for Kosovo's continued integration into the EU. This agreement we are about to sign commits our two governments to the protection and preservation, without discrimination, of the cultural heritage sites of national, religious, and ethnic groups that were victims of genocide during World War II.

Now, we know from experience that measures like these work. This will be the United States’ 24^th such cultural preservation agreement, and in countries from Estonia to Italy, we have seen real results. Forty years ago, the United States was the first nation in the world to ratify the World Heritage Convention, and we are proud that we have continued that work over the years. And our commitment is to the preservation of all of Kosovo's cultural heritage: Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Serb, Albanian, you name it. We are committed to helping you preserve it.

I saw firsthand one of the most cherished cultural treasures, the Graĉanica Monastery, a Serbian Orthodox site that dates back to the 14^th century, but it's just one of many such sites. And it's essential that as Kosovo forges a pluralistic society, a nation that guarantees citizenship rights, equal rights to all of its people, that all of these sites be preserved for the people in Kosovo and the Balkans, as well as others throughout the world who share that same heritage.

So this is another step on the road to a thriving, independent, multiethnic Kosovo, where democratic institutions are strong and opportunities are abundant, and where I think the president has set exactly the right tone by painting a vision of what Kosovo can become.

Madam President.

President Jahjaga. Honorable Secretary Clinton, thank you very much. The signing of the Agreement on the Protection and Preservation of Certain Cultural Properties is a powerful symbolic act, and part of the strong relationship and friendship between the Republic of Kosovo and the United States of America. The United States of America is Kosovo's strongest supporter and ally. Madam Secretary, you and the American people have always stood by us in our most difficult times, in achieving freedom, and now in our process of state building.

Today, Kosovo is a multiethnic and inclusive society, where all its ethnic communities live in freedom and peace. Our approach is one of building good neighborhood relations with all the countries in the region, and Kosovo has established itself as a factor of stability in the Balkans.

Kosovo is a new country with a long history. We have a rich cultural heritage that has survived over the centuries. This past, expressed in the architectural values, in the objects of worship and religious monuments, testifies that we lived together for the centuries and represent each other's heritage as common values.

This agreement between the Republic of Kosovo and the United States of America is another testament of our commitment to cultural tolerance and multiculturalism, and our embrace for the diversity of the members of our society regardless of ethnicity, faith, or race. The American values and ideals are an inspiration to us, and we look forward to jointly implement this agreement to further preserve our common cultural heritage. Thank you very much.

Secretary Clinton. Thank you so much, Madam President.

President Jahjaga. Thank you.

Moderator. The Secretary of State and the president of the Republic of Kosovo are signing an agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Kosovo on the Protection and Preservation of Certain Cultural Properties.

(The agreement was signed.)

Secretary Clinton. Thank you all very much.

Q. Madam President, one question, please? One question?

President Jahjaga. Yes?

Q. Madam President, (inaudible) humanitarian convoy that (inaudible) Kosovo (inaudible)?

President Jahjaga. There are the rules and there are norms that are (inaudible) the international convention (inaudible) legislation in the Congress on the issue about (inaudible) and humanitarian aid. And we are going to respect all international convention, constitution of Kosovo, and the administration of Kosovo in that process.

Q. Thank you. Can you add anything to that?

Secretary Clinton. Well, I fully support what the president just said. In addition, we have checked with the United Nations and others. They do not report any humanitarian crisis or need. We would urge that the people of Kosovo, particularly in the north, work together. They are entitled under the constitution of Kosovo to equal rights and full citizenship. The sooner that we have the integration of all citizens of Kosovo into the unity of the state, the more possible will be the kind of future that the president is seeking for the people (inaudible).

Thank you.