Irma. I returned from the British Virgin islands and saw the destruction and the ordeal that has been infliggetted across the caribbean and in florida. Our immediate task is to ensure that aid reaches everyone in need. And today, there are nearly 1,000 British Military personnel in our british erritories and two transport hill copters. One ton of food has arrived for 13 people. And now heading to the u. S. Virgin islands to pick up more supplies. I thank the United States for the u. S. Virgin islands to be a hub of the distribution of aid. And i thank the departure of citizens. We are responding to assistance by sending a transport aircraft to provide heavy lift for their aid effort. The Prime Minister announced aid and the government will match every pound donated to the red cross appeal up to a maximum of three million. Im going to chair cobra to check on the progress of our response. The minister for the commonwealth is arisk in the turks and cake oost to assess the situation in that british territory. Once the emergency phase is over, the need will be for longterm reconstruction to get our caribbean territories back on their feet. Britain, france, the u. S. And the netherlands will be working sidebyside. On libya, with secretary tillerson and our colleagues from italy, egypt and united emirates and france. Libya is a front line in our common struggle against terrorism and illegal migration and we share a vital interest in that countrys stability. We need to break the political dead block and the envoy seeks to bring all sides together. Our friends in north africa share the same interest in a peaceful libya and that prize is wholly achievable. We have a new opportunity to make progress by helping the libyan people to make a settlement based on compromise and con sense us. Discussed the discussion in east asia yeah where north korea has launched Ballistic Missiles. On monday, the Security Council adopted u. N. Resolution 3275 and the toughest sanctions imposed on any country in the 21st century. We discussed how best to enforce those measures with the aim of maximizing the pressure on north korea to reach a diplomatic solution. We resolve to Work Together and with partners who can influence north korea, including china with the complete and denuke lar isation of the north korean peninsula. Im delighted to welcome along side rex secretary tillerson d demonstrating the alliance between our two countries. Rex, great to have you. Secretary tillerson its always an honor and pleasure to be here in the United Kingdom and work with such close and committed allies to find solutions to some of the most complex issues in the world. I want to thank foreign secretary johnson for his kind words to the American People particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and hurricane irma. Many americans continue to suffer in recovery and have a long way to go to rebuild their homes and lives. Americans do have a reliable friend in the british people and the American People have a reliable friend and this was in response to the effects of irma on british and american and french territories. The cooperation has been extraordinary. I think all of us set down our own concerns and said what can we do to help each others citizens and we are thankful for that. And committed to take that spirit in the aftermath and how can we Work Together and coordinate to complete the recovery and begin the long process of reconstruction in a way that is beneficial for everyone. I do quickly want to recognize and congratulate the united tates new ambassador to the United Kingdom. Arrived here 19 days ago. Our relationship will remain in good hands. I have an ambassador johnson and all that assures on any given day a johnson is going to be blamed for something. [laughter] secretary tillerson i acknowledge that we had a sri useful meeting short of useful opportunity to meet with Prime Minister may. We discussed a number of areas of neutral interests. I expressed my interest to the Prime Minister for the support and resolve and support of the United Kingdom as a member of the u. N. Security council and send a strong message to north korea and the regime that their efforts to advance their Nuclear Weapons program and the posture they have taken is not acceptable to any member of the International Community and that support is very important in our efforts to bring that to a resolution. The Prime Minister and i also had a discussion briefly about the threat that iran poses to the region, destabilizing activities in yemen and syria and other parts of the region and we discussed our shared interests to find a solution to the conflict in syria once the war against isis and the defeat of isis is concluded. We welcome to work with our counterparts in the United Kingdom. While brexit doze present challenges, you have a steadfast ally in the United States and we will stand by our ally as brexit continues to take shape and we look forward to continuing this long relationship. As indicated, secretary johnson nd i delved into a number of topics. And we are thankful for the u. K. s leadership in supporting our efforts on north korea from sanctions to implementing those sanctions and finding ways to escalate syria and we thank the United Kingdom towards humanitarian assistance to the long suffering Syrian People as we liberate people who suffered under the oppression of isis. Along with representatives of france we had a substantial meeting to discuss how to increase that diplomatic pressure on the dprk and how we can Work Together to relay messages to north korea that you need to stand down your program and engage in a dialogue to find your way to a peaceful resolution. We had prodtive discussions with the french i tall apian and egyptian colleagues and u. N. Representative for secretary general on the way forward ol libya. Again, an issue that is important to the United States to create stability and restore libya under a functioning government. What we dont want to see happen is libya become a place that births additional terrorist organizations or provide opportunities for isis to reemerge in a different part of the world. We hope they will have a solution that will lead to their future. I think as special representative works with the libians to work on the reconciliation. He has the full support of the United States. We think it is time to focus the mediation efforts in one location at the u. N. Under his leadership and we had strong unity under the group that met today to support the special representatives in his. And we will consider these issues in new york next week on the margins of the u. N. General assembly meeting. Thank Prime Minister may and for their welcome for a series of productive meetings on a host of important topics some of which we touched on that but their commitment to action on achievement of our common goals. Foreign secretary, thank you very much. Bbc. First of all, foreign secretary, on aid, do you believe the government should be able to use its aid budget to help people in aid in the caribbean . Secondly on libya, do you actually think that elections next year are feasible . And when do you think they should be held . Thirdly, on burma, you said last weekend, one of the most inspiring figures of our age. Do you regret saying that now and has your view changed as a result of the events this week . On iran, what actually is the position of the United States today on the Iran Nuclear Deal . Are you going to continue to waive the sanctions and continue to believe that iran is fulfilling its obligations of that deal . And secondly what is your view of what is taking place in the bangladesh and the behavior . On your first question, james, i think anybody seen the effects of a hurricane, but its absolutely catastrophic. I never seen anything like it. The destruction that you see in images from the first world war. And i think anybody with an an ounce of compassion would want to see spending by our government on geting the people back up on their feet and getting those british and i stress it, british oversees territories helped in the longterm. And we are looking at ways to make sure that our aid budget could be used. And i tell all my colleagues are looking at how we can do that. That is absolutely natural and on that right now. On libya, you asked a very important question, would it be premature to hold elections within a year . I happen to think that could be about the right time scale. I think its very important however, that you dont do it too fast and that you get the political groundwork done first. There has to be a constitution. There has to be an accepted basis for those elections to take place. You have to amend the security agreement, the libyan political goment, everyone understands what needs to be done. And i think it is a wide measure of support amongst the libyan people getting on with an election, by the way. He has the program that sketched out commanded support this afternoon in the p3plus three. What we are hoping is that will gain further wider support at the u. N. General assembly next week. Thirdly on burma and the tragedy that is unfolding and the gross abuse of the human ghts of the rohingya population. Nt underestimate, 370,000 rohingya have fled or estimated to have fled in desperation. And to answer directly your oint about the state counselor xi, she led burma after a period of decades of repression guenta. Tary and i yield to no one in my admiration and the way she fought for democracy. I think me people around the world share that admiration. But i think its now vital for her to use that authority to make the point about the suffering of the people of her kind. And i think, you know, nobody wants to see, nobody wants to see a return to military rule in burma. Nobody wants to see a return of the general. But it is so vital that the civilian government and that is for whom as i say i have a great deal of admiration but vital now to make clear that is an abomination and that those people will be allowed back. Those people will be allowed back to burma and the preparation is being made and the abuse of their human rights and the killings, hundreds, perhaps even thousands, will stop. Secretary tillerson first with respect to the administrations view of the jcpoa and nuclear deal with iran, the Trump Administration is correspondenting to review its policy with iran. Its under way. There have been several discussions internally among our n. S. C. Along with our discussions with the president. So no decision has been made. But i think its worth noting as the administration continues his review of the jcp omp a, President Trump has made it clear to those of us helping him to develop this policy we must take into account the totality of iranian threats. That is one wees of our posture towards iran. If one revisits the preff ace that jcpoa, it reads full implementation of this jcp omp a will positively contribute toll regional and International Peace and security, unquote. That was one of the expectations. Iran is clearly in default of these expectations of the jcpoa in their efforts to prop up the regime and engage in malicious activities including cyber activity and developing Ballistic Missiles and all of this is in defiance of Council Resolution 3321, thrpby threatening the security of those in the region as well as those in the United States itself. So we have to consider the totality of irans activities nd not let our view be defined by the nuclear agreement. It continues to be under review. With respect to the horrors that we are witnessing and occurring in burma, i think it is a defining moment in many ways for this new imaging democracy, although it is a powersharing arrangement, we understand that. So we appreciate the difficult and complex situation that she finds herself in. And i think it is important that the Global Community speak out in support of what we all know the expectation is towards the treatment of people regardless of their ethnicity and that we must this violence must stop. This persecution must stop. It has been characterized as ethnic cleansing. That must stop. And we need to support xi and her leadership and the very clear military in that government that this is unacceptable. And this is going to define the direction that burma will take. They need our strong support and should give them our strong support. Reporter secretary tillerson, on north korea, President Trump described the u. N. Council resolution as a small step. Do you concur with that assessment . And do you still seek a full embargo against north korea . And do you think china would ever agree to that . And secretary johnson, on iran, the french have signaled a willingness to supplement the nuclear deal to extend sunset provisions. Did that come up in todays conversations . And is britain open to such a suggestion . And secretary tillerson, would the u. S. Be open to that as well . Secretary tillerson with respect to the u. N. Security Council Resolution and the president s view its a small step. I share that view. I hoped for a many stronger resolution from the Security Council. Having said that, it did accomplish a couple of things. One, a complete prohibition on textiles, which does represent 800 re between 700 and million revenue to the regime. And i think the successful conclusion of yet another unanimous u. N. Security Council Resolution sends a consistent message to the regime in north korea and those who continue to enable north koreas activities that the International Community does have a common view on the seriousness of north koreas Proliferation Program and the development of their weapons, their Nuclear Weapons. I think its i think its clear with respect to oil and a complete embargo on oil from the u. N. Security council, thats going to be very difficult. In effect, that is directed at china alone because china supplies essentially all of north koreas oil. I am hopeful that china, as a great country, a world power, will decide on their own and will take it upon themselves to use that very powerful tool of oil supply to persuade north korea to reconsider its current path towards weapons development, reconsider its approach to dialogue and negotiations in the future. That is a very powerful tool that has been used in the past. And we hope china will not reject that or discard that as a very powerful tool. They alone really have the ability to assert. So, were going to continue our efforts in the global campaign. Going continue to call on all countries to full yimplement the u. N. Security Council Sanctions and resolutions. And where countries have a sense they can doo more to put a pressure on this regime, can bring it to a point of dialogue in a very productive way, we ask that everyone do that. Mr. Johnson on north korea very quickly, i can just add that there was i think a wide measure of support for the positions that you and i have both adopted. That this is not the time when were trying to get the chinese to exert the maximum possible pressure. By the way, i think the chinese have done more perhaps than we thought that they would. But there is scope for them to do much, much more. Particularly in respect to oil. Now is not the time to start setting other hairs running with other attempts at engagement with the regime in pong jong. Pyongyang. The focus has to be on what china can do as the country thats responsible for 93 of north koreas external trade. And i was struck by the strong support for that position, particularly from our french friends. And just to get to your point about iran, the north korean crisis shows the importance of having arrangements such as the gcpoa. And you ask about extending the having the sunset clause. I cant remember who raised it, it did come up. Everybody could see that it was going to get tenser as we get towards the deadline. Thats why its so important that we make it work and that we keep it alive. There are two aspects to this. As secretary tillerson has just said, the iranians have got to behave and fulfill their side of the bargain. And theyve got to stop being adventurous and expansionist and causing trouble in the region. Whether its in yemen or syria or anywhere else. And of course on the other side, we in the u. K. Think it very important that iran, the country of 18 million people, many of them young, potentially liberal, could be won over, could be won over to a new way of thinking. I think its important that they should see that there are benefits, economic benefits, from the jcpoa as well. So we in the u. K. Want to keep that alive and thats certainly a point that weve been making o rex and others in the u. S. [inaudible] mr. Tillerson thank you. Mr. Johnson thank you. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2017] heres a look at our primetime schedule on the cspan networks next, Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein on the constitution and the rule of law. These commentses are part of a series of events taking place at the Heritage Foundation to mark
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