NATO HQ 15 Dec. 1999

Point de presse on arrival U.S Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott Q : What signal is this summit going to send on Chechnya, if any ? A : The ministerial here of the North Atlantic Council, I think, will reiterate the very strong message that has been coming out of various capitals, certainly including the Helsinki Summit of the EU last week, and also of the United States. The strongest concern is disapproval of the methods that the Russian authorities have been using to deal with what we all recognize is a very, very, real problem down here. It is a classic case of apparent attempt at a cure being at least as bad as the disease, if not worse. We, of course, will be getting a report here at this meeting from the Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Vollebaek, who will have just made a tour of the region in his capacity as the Chairman in Office of the OSCE. Q : What about the reaction to the greater willingness of hte European system of forces that is going to challenge NATO's decision power ? A : I think that there continues to be the strongest possible consultation and cooperation between the United States and its European allies on ways of forging an even stronger Trans-Atlantic defense relationship. That was on the agenda of the European Union Summit last week in Helsinki. It will be on the agenda today. I thought it was a good statement that came out of Helsinki and I expect to see a very strong communiqué out of this meeting as well, and we will move that process forward. Thanks. Wel 'll have a chance to talk later.