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TRANSCRIPT: 1/21 SEC. ALBRIGHT/THAI FINANCE MINISTER REMARKS

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Jan 21, 1998, 3:00:00 AM1/21/98

USIS Washington File

21 January 1998

TRANSCRIPT: 1/21 SEC. ALBRIGHT/THAI FINANCE MINISTER REMARKS

(U.S. committed to restoring financial stability in Asia) (1540)

Washington -- The United States is deeply committed to helping its
friends in the Asia-Pacific region restore financial stability and
emerge from the present crisis, according to Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright.

In remarks made prior to her meeting with Thai Finance Minister Tarrin
January 21, Albright said: "The United States has been and will remain
actively engaged in Thailand's stabilization efforts, and will
continue to support adequate financing from the international
financial institutions for the Thai reforms."

"The United States," Albright said, "cares deeply about the future
prosperity and well-being of Thailand, which is one of our five treaty
allies in Asia, and a nation with whom we enjoy broad cooperation on
shared security, diplomatic and economic concerns. And we're convinced
that Thailand will recover and come back strong, as it continues to
make the right choices and to implement the reforms it has agreed to
with the IMF."

Following is a transcript of Albright's and Tarrin's remarks:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

For Immediate Release January 21, 1998

REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT
AND THAI FINANCE MINISTER TARRIN
PRIOR TO THEIR MEETING

Washington, D.C.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Good morning. I am very pleased to welcome Finance
Minister Tarrin of Thailand to the State Department today.

The major topic of our discussions will be the challenge of restoring
financial stability in East Asia. The United States is deeply
committed to helping our friends in the region to recover and emerge
from the present crisis.

Accordingly, our foreign policy team, from President Clinton on down,
is closely monitoring the events in Thailand. Secretary Cohen was just
in Bangkok, as were Assistant Secretary Roth and Deputy Secretary of
the Treasury Summers. We are very impressed with Thailand's
determination in carrying out its IMF program, and we welcome Prime
Minister Chawalit's commitment to stay the course.

The United States has been and will remain actively engaged in
Thailand's stabilization efforts, and will continue to support
adequate financing from the international financial institutions for
the Thai reforms.

Looking to the future, we have great confidence in Thailand. That
nation has acted firmly in seeking to restore confidence in the Thai
economy and lay the groundwork for renewed growth. Moreover, its
government is democratic, its press open and its authorities
accountable to the people. It has the standing to go forward with
difficult reforms, and is doing so. And I must say that as we all are
meeting with our counterparts and other people in the government, we
are impressed with their dedication and the strength of the team and
we are looking forward to working with them in a continuous and
long-term way. We are very glad to have the opportunity to have these
meetings -- all of us -- in these days.

The United States cares deeply about the future prosperity and
well-being of Thailand, which is one of our five treaty allies in
Asia, and a nation with whom we enjoy broad cooperation on shared
security, diplomatic and economic concerns. And we're convinced that
Thailand will recover and come back strong, as it continues to make
the right choices and to implement the reforms it has agreed to with
the IMF.

FINANCE MINISTER TARRIN: Thank you very much, Secretary Albright, for
your gracious words of welcome and support.

The people of Thailand look to the United States as an important
friend and ally of long standing. We are very much encouraged by your
words of support and encouragement today, and by the assurances we
received yesterday from Secretary Rubin that the United States has and
will continue to support adequate financing from the international
financial institutions for the efforts of Thailand to re-establish
financial stability and growth.

Let me once again underline the strong commitment of the Thai
Government to implement a comprehensive program of economic reform in
the context of the parameters agreed with the IMF (International
Monetary Fund). We have taken, and will continue to implement,
wide-ranging measures to strengthen and restructure our financial
sector.

The Thai people truly realize that hardship and sacrifice are
necessary in this period of economic adjustment and reform. Prime
Minister Chawalit has emphasized that the problems of the country will
have to be solved primarily by Thailand herself.

My delegation comes to Washington to seek a continued pro-active role
and engagement by the United States, as the world's largest economy
and one of the major nations, working with the other G-7 nations in
the resolution of the financial crisis that has beset Asia. The
financial crisis in Thailand, Southeast Asia and East Asia as a whole
has a global dimension with real potential for adverse impact on
international economic systems, as well as on economic growth and
living standards of all countries.

There is, therefore, an interdependent interest among all nations --
and especially international financial institutions -- to work closely
together to help to resolve the crisis and to turn the situation
around. There are positive indications of progress in Thailand, and
the prospect of the beginnings of a turnaround are good, given
continued and consistent international support.

Thailand and the United States have shared a convergence of security
interests throughout the so-called "Cold War period." Those
geopolitical and security interests continue to converge. At the same
time, there has been a growing convergence of interests in terms of
values, of democratic ideals, human rights, full governance and open
society. We look forward to continuing to work in a close and
constructive partnership with the U.S. in all of these areas after we
move past our present economic difficulties.

Thank you very much.

ALBRIGHT: Thank you.

RUBIN: The ministers have agreed to two questions. George Gedda, AP.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, with your indulgence, I'd like to change
the subject to the Pope's visit to Cuba. He arrives in a few hours,
and I wondered if you'd tell us what your hopes and expectations are
for the visit?

ALBRIGHT: Well, first of all, I think that we all are aware of the
great moral and ethical power and persuasion of the Pope. His visit is
clearly an important one.

The run-up to the Pope's visit itself has been important in terms of
having some additional ability for the people of Cuba to have the
ability to practice some religious freedom. I've said it took Cuba
2,000 years to -- that this year was the first time that Castro
realized something that the world has known for 2,000 years: that
Christmas is a holiday. I think that is a step forward.

We hope very much that there is the ability for more religious freedom
in Cuba, and that this will in fact also spread to other areas,
because what we have been arguing for for some time is that the people
of Cuba deserve to have the same human rights, religious rights as the
other people in this hemisphere and throughout the world.

So I think we'll be watching very carefully for how the Pope's visit
goes on, and how he is received, and if there is a sustained
appreciation of the possibilities for more religious as well as other
freedoms in Cuba.

Q: Madame Secretary, Prime Minister Netanyahu said this morning that
some progress had been made in the talks yesterday, but that much work
remains to be done. He saw some of that at least happening in the next
few weeks. I was wondering what you see as happening in the near
future on the Middle East peace process, following the meetings with
Chairman Arafat?

ALBRIGHT: First of all, let me say that the reason that these talks
are taking place is that we have all been working on trying to get the
Middle East peace process back on track, and have said frequently that
there are some gaps between the two parties in this. It was important
-- the leaders having heard my views -- that they hear the President's
views on the subject. He has done a great deal of thinking about how
to try to get the peace process back on track.

We would agree with what the Prime Minister said, that there was work
done and that there is more work to be done. I will be meeting later
today, again, with the Prime Minister, before he leaves the country.
And I will be meeting with Chairman Arafat, and then Chairman Arafat
will meet with the President, tomorrow.

We want both leaders to have the ability to absorb the views and
information presented by President Clinton. We will keep pursuing the
subject, and (have) a lot of work to do. Obviously in the next couple
of weeks is the timing in which we will be, hope, moving the process
forward. But again, as we've said many times, we have presented our
views; there are gaps; we're trying to narrow the gaps, but it's up to
the leaders themselves to make the hard decisions.

RUBIN: Thank you very much.

(end transcript)

USIA

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Jan 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM1/23/98

USIS Washington File

22 January 1998

(begin transcript)

Washington, D.C.

Minister Chuan's commitment to stay the course.

meetings all of us in these days.

FINANCE MINISTER TARRIN: Thank you very much, Secretary Albright, for
your gracious words of welcome and support.

Let me once again underline the strong commitment of the Thai
Government to implement a comprehensive program of economic reform in

the context of the parameters agreed with the IMF. We have taken, and

will continue to implement, wide-ranging measures to strengthen and
restructure our financial sector.

The Thai people truly realize that hardship and sacrifice are
necessary in this period of economic adjustment and reform. Prime

Minister Chuan has emphasized that the problems of the country will

have to be solved primarily by Thailand herself.

There is, therefore, an interdependent interest among all nations and
especially international financial institutions to work closely

together to help to resolve the crisis and to turn the situation
around. There are positive indications of progress in Thailand, and
the prospect of the beginnings of a turnaround are good, given
continued and consistent international support.

Thailand and the United States have shared a convergence of security
interests throughout the so-called "Cold War period." Those

geo-political and security interests continue to converge. At the same

time, there has been a growing convergence of interests in terms of
values, of democratic ideals, human rights, full governance and open
society. We look forward to continuing to work in a close and

constructive partnership with the US in all of these areas after we

move past our present economic difficulties.

Thank you very much.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Thank you.

MR. RUBIN: The ministers have agreed to two questions. George Gedda,
AP.

Q: Madame Secretary, with your indulgence, I'd like to change the

subject to the Pope's visit to Cuba. He arrives in a few hours, and I
wondered if you'd tell us what your hopes and expectations are for the

visit.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, first of all, I think that we all are aware

of the great moral and ethical power and persuasion of the Pope. His
visit is clearly an important one.

The run-up to the Pope's visit itself has been important in terms of
having some additional ability for the people of Cuba to have the

ability to practice some religious freedom.. I've said it took Cuba
2,000 years to that this year was the first time that Castro realized

something that the world has known for 2,000 years: that Christmas is
a holiday. I think that is a step forward.

We hope very much that there is the ability for more religious freedom

in Cuba, and that this will in fact also spread to other areas;

because what we have been arguing for for some time is that the people
of Cuba deserve to have the same human rights, religious rights as the
other people in this hemisphere and throughout the world.

Chairman Arafat.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: First of all, let me say that the reason that

these talks are taking place is that we have all been working on
trying to get the Middle East peace process back on track, and have
said frequently that there are some gaps between the two parties in

this. It was important the leaders having heard my views that they

hear the President's views on the subject. He has done a great deal of
thinking about how to try to get the peace process back on track.

MR. RUBIN: Thank you very much.

(end transcript)

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