No, all is well. I am here. You became our 70th United States future estate 2018 and you are happy with the job is as much fun as you thought it would be . Every day. [laughter] what are the most significant Foreign Policy issues or concerns to you . The Biggest Challenges we have in our country right now in the foreignpolicy area . I get asked this question rank ordering the challenges. Thats not the original question . [laughter] its an important question about priorities, resources, ideology and time and how you think about problems that for me the first half or task when i came in now 16, 17 months ago after having been the cia director was to make sure the state department was ready for crisis and spend time making sure my team was prepared for the day that every ceo tries to deal with. What happens when something really bad happens that was unexpected and is your team capable and have the resources to respond in the moment something that frankly not given enough thought about. In terms of priorities every morning the first thing i do is read about china. I take time and talk about all the broad array of issues that present both real opportunities and the risk to america from china. Lets talk china but trade negotiations are going on in your not the lead in the trade negotiations and Bob Lighthizer is taking the lead in applicant make any progress in nontraded issues until the trade issue is resolved connect. Yeah. We have made some. There have been places weve gone backwards. The chinese frankly have been helpful on north korea. They have done more to enforce the u. S. Security Council Resolutions on north korea than ever at any time in history. They are helpful with us today in afghanistan and the project there. Folks dont spend time thinking about that but so far, so good with respect to respecting our sanctions enforcement on the islamic public of iran although we sanctioned the Chinese Company last week were perhaps the week before for having violated those sanctions so there are places we can work with china and lots of diplomatic friends were we dont share the same values but have overlapping interests and work on those problems. What would be the u. S. Response to the military being sent into hong kong to bring down the protest there can. I never answer answer hypotheticals about what we want to do or so well played. [laughter] having said that we been pretty clear that protest is appropriate status in the United States. Im confident of the protesters when i drive through the state Department Building every day. We hope the chinese will do the right thing with respecting the agreements in place with respect to hong kong. You have been to north korea and that was the leader of north korea and bennett with the president so what type of person is he . Does he have a great interesting thoughts to see speak english so how do you commit gate in english with them and can you discuss or summarize your impression of the leader of north korea . I spent more time with him than any american. I passed Dennis Rodman on the last trip. [laughter] look, he is right and he has managed to rise to the level of leadership in a difficult environment where he was a very young man when his time came. For my very first interactions hes been candid with me about the things that are important to him in the priority set and how the negotiations are perceived. He repeated his prefer to do requires but not time to execute. I hope we can achieve that and i had to asia at midday tomorrow and ill be in bangkok for a couple of days and we hope we can have working level discussions starting again soon as we can unlock the rubiks cube. Its a challenge that he has presented with as leader of north korea as well and we hope he can see his way clear so we get that brighter future. Do you expect a fair summit to be announced anytime soon . Nothing in the works. Nothing plans. Why did the last summit and before the last lunch occurred . It abruptly ended, why . Pgh. There was a big spread in economic terms. I cant go into all the details but we had a number of conversations about a broad range of issues that my team had worked hard and turned out that the idea that leaders could bridge the gap in the moment turned out that the u. S. Position has been not lift sanctions until the need for equalization but would you be willing to consider having the north koreans keep that they have a nuclear friends and and the sanctions if they do more for is that something to hypothetical connect. To hypothetical. I do not want to give you the answer but look,. I talked about this publicly a couple times and we hope they have Creative Solutions but its a difficult challenge for each of us and we have to remember these are u. S. Engines but un, global sanctions put on by every single country. We are mindful that we are the steward for enforcing those. Lets go and easier part of the world, the middle east. [laughter] the streets of hormuz are we committed to opening the streets of hormuz at any cost militarily . We will keep them open. We will build out countries from all across the world that have a vested interest in keeping those waterways open and if it will take more time than we wish it would but im confident its important that america is prepared to be a part of that but we need other parts of countries [inaudible] our position is if the ship were taken by the iranians we would presumably do something militarily, i guess, i dont know but what about if the ship was taken that the british ship or some other nationality are we not committed to recovering that ship or doing something to defend those ships . Weve seen them take a british ship. Its not a hypothetical. We are working with i guess im working with my third british by minister but working with the british to find a solution to both, a, right that injustice and second, prevent it from happening again thats the mission. You gave a visa for the foreign minister of iran to come to the United States for even events. You are familiar with that. Yes. When he was in the United States any direct talks with him and state apartment about anything can talk about . No talks. No talks. Okay. Although, they decided to give him a megaphone to talk about things that are untrue going on in the republic of iran to give him a chance to live precipitously to the mac and people can afford to the chance to speak to the iranian people in the same way. And tell them whats going on inside of their own country but so far they not taken me up on that offer. President trump has imposed russian sanctions on iran do you think they will be or have the effect to bring iran to the negotiating table . Step back a little bit. Remember the objective. The objective is the National Security strategy that was laid out 2. 5 years ago with respect to the middle east so its broader and we tend to focus on the tactical and step back and take about overdoing were probably in the middle east. With respect to iran the world what a state sponsor of terror it has the capacity to continue to work to develop a Nuclear Weapon system which would have problems of the middle east so concerned about that and our chosen strategy was to take 818y created opportunities for enormous wealth in iran and for them to underwrite hezbollah militias in iraq and the houthi in yemen that are, even as we speak, preparing to continue their attacks on saudi arabia and we decided to go the other way trying to reduce their resources to conduct terror campaigns all around the world. Weve been incredibly effective and i remember, david, im sure no one in this room for many in washington said american sections alone wont work. Well, they worked. Be taken over 95 of the crude oil been shipped around the world and take it off the market and when i came in it was at 63 34 cents and 17, 18 then when we withdrew from the jc poa. We managed both protect the Economic Growth that the world needs while doing our best with limited resources. The prospect of another iranian agreement, one more favorable to your point of view in the president s point of view is that likely to happen this year, next year or . Timelines are a fools errand in my business. The iranians are now enriching iranian greater now and are you worried that israel might attack the iranian facilities . Yes, they are enriching more than they were under the agreement but they are temporary reduction in enriched uranium has now ended and moving back in the wrong direction and we are urging them to think about it but for us its not about the level set in the jc poa. Its about the capacity to build out a Nuclear Weapon system in a timeframe that matters to you and your kids and grandkids in the previous agreement do not really test it back in the middle east you see a prospect for peace between israel and the palestinians . Theres been talk of a plan and have the same progress made . Theres a reason hezbollah has been here for 40 years or more. In the end this will be the decision of the Prime Minister of israel and the leadership in the west bank and gaza. Ive been deeply involved in mr. Caceres efforts there and he will be traveling and my team will travel with him in the coming days to flush out our partners in the region are path forward. In the end we can present our vision and our plan will we hope they will engage on we hope we get the gulf states to join us in that effort and frankly, the europeans but in the end the decision about whether to make the fundamental approach response is up to those two countries and state leaders. Is our position that we prefer a one state solution or a two state solution . You will see our plan shortly can you give us a hint . No. Okay. We prefer for the palestinians and the israelis agree to and what the nature of that relationship will look like. Okay. Any progress between qatar, saudi arabia and the uae in resolving their disputes . Army in the middle of that . They are in the middle of it. Were not in the middle trying to resolve we have made clear that they hope youll join together and we think allstate unity on the issues that matter to america americas position matters. What about yemen . Any progress in reducing the conflict there. Yeah, real progress. It is an even in the end and the player who will get to play the ultimate card there will be the iranians, the foodies have to make a decision. We got to decide if they want to continue down the path of being disruptive and accepting iranian missiles and watching them into saudi arabia. Negotiations underway with the telegram in the middle east and the u. S. Is involved in that. Have you seen progress in reducing our need to be in afghanistan in the near future . Yeah, real progress. Try not to do timelines but im optimistic that were not just negotiate with the televangelist and that is the story but the truth of the matter is were talking to all afghans. He has spoken with the president and spoke with him friday night or friday morning and speaking with the opposition of those folks that inside the government speaking with officials and have the investor who has worked all across afghanistan with when i was there last with ngos and met with womens groups in a broad swath of afghanistans we want them to take the country back and want to reduce what is for us tens of billions of dollars a year in expenditures and enormous risks to your kids and grandkids were fighting for america. Theres a path to reduce violence and bring about [inaudible] before the next president ial election would you expect we would reduce our troops in afghanistan . That is might directive from the president of the United States. Draw [inaudible] we hope that overall the need for combat forces in the region is reduced. Its not only my expectation but would be job enhancement. [laughter] on russia. You met with Vladimir Putin anytime. A few times, yes, sir. Any impressions of him mac see very smart, very tough . Can you convey your thoughts to him in english or does he have an interpreter . I think he speaks english pretty well. Look, hes clear about the things that are in russian interest and he had a Strategic Dialogue with him that we hope will build into something that handles a broad set of proliferation issues not just Nuclear Proliferation but broad array of proliferations we hope china will join that set up conversations. We think today these agreements need to have china be a part and i hope president putin will support us and i think he will. For the time being would you say that is there any progress in ukraine or anything related to ukraine . Is that something off the table right now in terms of discussions . We are engaging with the new government in a great interest finish up their parliamentary i hope that will engender market of ideas of how to resolve the problem. The conflict in ukraine as well and there is still fighting, not everyday but it is a lot. Will the crimea of a return to ukraine . Smacked the u. S. Position is that its unacceptable. There are protests in russia now about the local elections in the leader of the protests are in jail and there been reports that hes been poisoned we dont know if its accurate but to have any comment on whats going on there . I read the reports and dont have anything to add this morning. I think everyone understands the u. S. Position. This goes for you asked about hong kong earlier and we always support freedom of expression and freedom to practice ones religion and to live out ones conscious and we hope every citizen of the world you are at the head of the cia you have doubts the russians interfered with our last president ial election . Oh, none. Have you convey that . The one before that. The one before that. The one before that. And the one in 2018. Weve had elections since 2016 and we have to protect 2020 the people who ran in 2018 cared about us protecting and we did so very effectively it will do so again in 2020. I know this town and know exactly what will get reported and so it aint just russia. So you know. Its that english and try to correct it but there are more nations than just russia who are attempting to undermine . The and that has been true since the founders created this great nation. We have to be ever vigilant. There is legislation that passed the house and is in the senate to get more resources to keep the russians from being able to do this again. Is the Administration Supportive of the legislation that seems to be blocked in the senate right now . I dont know the details but im convinced the state farm and has all the resources it needs to perform its part of that function. We have the authorities we need and the money we need and the burden is on me to execute it. Have you communicated to mr. Putin that we do not like what hes done before and should not do it again . On a number of occasions. What is his response . Noted. [laughter] that the diplomatic tone for i hear you, brother. [laughter] he did not admit anything i assume but okay. In respect to england is a new Prime Minister and you met Boris Johnson before. I have. I met him when i was cia director i believe he was foreign secretary. Does the Current TrumpAdministration Support a brexit or would you prefer that there be a remain or do not take a position . I have confidence in the british people. Okay. The British Ambassador had to resign because his tables were leaked by somebody and do you tell your own ambassadors they should be more careful about what they say to you because someone could leak what they are writing . Is that word . Not at all. And if i did, they would ignore me. I have a duty and responsible the task is for them to tells what they are seen in the power of the state department is that we have these officers on the ground in many countries can do policy and think tanks but we have people when we want them to give us the granularity that you can only get those interactions and we want them to report them accurately and candidly in our mission is make sure that they dont end up in the washington post. In respect to mexico we be concerned about people coming over the border in our government the Mexican Government is now doing what i can to keep more people from not coming over the border . They are. Are they doing enough . No, not enough. They still have highside of 2000 everyday that is unacceptable. They need to do more. We need to do more. Congress needs to change the rules. We have to create a deterrence. It has to be the case that those who want to come here legally can and those who want to come by some other mechanism choose not to because they understand they will not find a way. As a member of Congress People call me office and say hey, we live in pick a country around the world and they say we want to come and get citizenship. You know, anyway i will tell you the joke i told but simplest way is to go to mexico and come on through. You want them to encourage them to follow the paperwork, go to the lawful process, become citizens with most welcoming nation in the world will always be but it is not the case that we can be lawless and have our sovereignty broken to having this mass immigration. There is a National Security risk. Very broadly speaking when i speak with mike mexican counterpart and i was in el salvador last week speaking with the congressman who understands a challenge and if theres not ours and they will get this right. In mexico and canada weve redone after and now u. S. Mca and are you worried Congress Might pass that legislation . I hope they will. President is doing everything he can to create growth here in the United States and it would contribute to that substantially. I hope they will pass it. I dont do [inaudible] anymore and i did that for six years. Speaking of south of the border, will the u. S. Entrance into venezuela and that was needed to keep violence . You tried to get me a beginning and now the end but the president has it clearly will do all it takes to make sure venezuela people