Transcripts For CSPAN Public Affairs Events 20161224 : compa

if we continue to curb inflation and keep it down to, say, 4% we will settle the situation with tariffs. let's move on to other areas. like the chinese say, that is true. >> good afternoon, mr. putin. i'm from the website. i have a question that our people are very concerned with. we have a lot of problems and traffic jams. it's the only city in europe that doesn't have a ring road. so, our government wants to initiate a fund raiser to build the road. could we solve this problem on the federal level? then, the question about coal mining. so, now we believe that coal affects the environment and we need to stop using it. so, what's your take on the future of the basin and coal mining? president putin: actual redevelopment of infrastructure is an issue. it is about building infrastructure and at the same time it has to be sustainable and have no impact on the environment. if you have any sponsor, any investor, we will try to support that both in the regional and federal level. we'll look at the proposal that has been coming out to the region. we can do this project if we can for the region. we know there has been a lot of pressure on the environment. as for coal -- everyone has been saying we need to switch to alternative energy sources. everybody is working on that, including hydrogen and wind and solar energy too. we are into it. just recently, i went to a plant. they've been implementing high-tech technology. the european commission reduced substitutes to the industry because it is extremely expensive. we need to modernize and improve the technology. for miners and other workers, the world uses much more coal than oil and gas. i think even more than oil and gas combined. coal remains an integral part of the world energy system. a considerable part. you rightly said we need to improve technology to decrease the impact on the environment. i know your region is moving in that direction. many enterprises switching to new high-tech processes technology. so that they could create a coal powder that is used. i'm sure we will move in that area then your region and miners from other regions will have a promising future. they will be in demand. they will have a lot of workload in the positive way. that will help drive our economies, the metal sector. the metal sector is going through downs, but i'm sure it will have a bright future. >> following up on that question, i'd like to ask about oil. what is going to be the economics of the oil prices? right now, it is $45, $50 a barrel. is the russian budget ready to -- when we decrease the oil production as we agreed with opec? president putin: well, as far as i know, crude is not $45, it is $55 a barrel. i looked it up this morning. our budget was based on a conservative forecast of $40 a barrel. so, we returned to the first few questions we had on our agenda today, as bureaucrats say. we can see the results we have achieved were achieved because the real situation turned out to be more complex than we expected because our 2016 budget was based on the assessment of $50 a barrel. the actual price was $40 a barrel. we saw a positive change in liquidity and inflation rate. we kept it in control. so, this factor played an important role in what happened with the economy. the situation was worse than average internationally, but the results are better which means our economy adjusted for the situation. nobody knows what the price was going to be like. it is a complicated issue. there are many different dynamics here and impossible to predict almost anything. well, the ministry gave its forecast that oil surplus will be up by the end of 2017 and prices will stabilize. we expect oil to stabilize at the current level. now, how our economy will respond as opposed to oil cuts. well, we considered the situation before we took this step. our production levels were quite high. the commitment that we may was 300,000 barrels over the period from january until june. this will not have a major effect on our overall production. this is totally acceptable for russia. but we expected prices will go up as a result. we already see this happening. if the situation stays this way, the effect for the country, the budget will be like this. if the price goes up by $10, the budget will receive an additional 1.74 trillion ruble in revenue. oil companies will get additional revenue of $750 billion. as a result, we will all win or benefit. i think this is the first time opec has made a decision like that in eight years. the fact we agreed to work with opec helped. we will continue working with opec. we will fulfill our obligations, our commitments but we are not members of this cartel. we will stay in contact with opec and honor our commitments. at the same time, we are free to act as we see fit, but we will only take action after we achieve certain results and we have been achieving positive results so far. we think this is helpful to opec members and nonmembers. >> perhaps, go to the central sector. >> please do not interfere with the cameraman's work. >> good afternoon, mr. putin. for our newspaper, editor-in-chief. first of all, i'd like to thank you on behalf of our leaders for what you are doing for our national defense and our national sovereignty. we listen to what you say very carefully. when you say if someone wants to live under semi-occupation, we are not going to. we agree totally. we think there are some problems, domestic problems in our country. that we could probably characterize in the following manner -- recently, mass media uses a phrase that has an adjective as hybrid informational. the second word is war. so, our people have a good memory and remembers our history. we went through some wars where we came out as winners. the first thing we remember is the second world war. making parallels to the current situation, i'd like to ask you a question. now our economy, our industries and our governmental bodies acts in accordance with the decisions made by international organizations and consulting from international companies. so, we learned about the foreign agents and foreign influence. first, the issue with consulting remains. our readers have been wondering should we be doing that here as well? beside on our own, what to do and which way to go. it is not only about the economy, it has to do about ideology as well. the question raised here -- the influx of imports of various kinds results in a lot of problems that we have mentioned today and it affected our traditional values. so, we think that we need import substitution in this area. recently, this question has been becoming more and more urgent. what are the measures being taken? president putin: this is extremely important. we all know what people think traditionally, but kazahkstan has always been this way. i can remind everybody that during the 1812 war, they provided calvary, all of their male population joined the army. similar things happened during the second world war. as far as economic sovereignty is concerned, this is not just about import substitution. our financial institution should be self-sufficient as well. credit cards. there are many things that we take as a given and we thought they were separate from geopolitics, but it turned out this was not true when we needed to use political pressure, they started using economic factors to put pressure on us. rating agencies -- this is also very important. of course, we should consider that as well. this is not a simple issue, but we definitely need our own national rating agency. we should develop consulting as well. we are actually doing that already, but it is important to make sure the companies are transparent and respected by the business community. otherwise, it makes no sense to have such companies. if we get rid of those foreign companies that are respected in our country and internationally, our businesses will suffer because what the assessments provided by russian companies is nobody is going to respect their opinion if they can't prove their competitiveness. we have been there before and we will see fall in investment. we will certainly work on that. i guess you were going to ask about difficulties and the tragedies of the past of the plane crash, right? what are you going to ask about? >> good afternoon. i'm from poland. a few years ago in this very room, i asked you about the plane crash and you said you would talk to the investigative committee. what did they say? we know that the investigation continues, but it has been seven years. probably all the tests and exercise have been conducted. it is only a political decision that is left to make, but that is only up to you. recently, some people say that poland has been distancing itself from the eu and the same has been said about other countries. so, if europe is weaker, is this beneficial for russia? is russia going to use this in its own interest? president putin: let's start with your first question first. yes, the investigation is underway. now, the second question, let's stop speculations. this was a terrible tragedy and i read through the transcript of the conversation between the pilot and one of the president's guards. he went into the cockpit. i personally read through the transcript and this man who went into the cockpit, i don't remember the name of this person, and they said we want to land. the pilot said i cannot land here, it is impossible. i cannot land here. and then the person, the presidential aide, said do whatever you have to do but we have to land right now, right here. there is no need to speculate anymore. it is a terrible tragedy. we did everything necessary to make sure this incident is properly investigated. i wish you would use this to create pressure, to create frictions between our two countries. it is crystal clear. if there are certain matters that are not fully clear, let investigators look into this matter. now, you also asked about a weaker euro and what we think about it. of course, we want to have a reliable, strong, and independent partners in europe. but, when we build our relationship with europe -- if they tell us we need to go to a third country, why talk to europe at all? recently, a european politician said all european nations are nations but not all of them realize that. i don't agree with this idea because you have great nations in europe. i don't want to mention anybody unless i offend anybody and we treat them as such. whatever europe does inside itself, how they build their relationships with each other, it is not about business. you know better than myself that they have sovereign nations with a small infrastructure or a quasi-federal state. there are two concepts. like i said elsewhere, the number of provisions of that are mandatory for all the countries make up more decisions made than what the supreme council in the soviet union. i don't know whether it is good or bad for europe. it is not up for us to decide that. it is up to you. yes, there are differences about migrants, the migrant crisis. other things. again, it is up to europeans themselves to decide about that. there are certain countries in europe who object to the current migrant policy and they want to the involved in the decision-making process more. they don't want to be imposed. they think those decisions are unacceptable. countries like poland, hungary. they should discuss those issues. not with us. they should discuss with brussels, other european capitals, but whatever the situation is like within europe, we are always interested in developing our relationships with europe and we will always pursue that. of course, we want europe to speak with one voice. we want to have a partner we can talk to. this is what matters to us, but if we don't have such a partner, we will just talk bilaterally to each of the european nations separately. this is what is happening now. we take up some of the issues with the european commission and then we take up other issues on the national level with european countries individually. we are happy with this kind of arrangement. it is up to europeans to decide what they do internally. >> it is like a dictatorship, huh? >> good afternoon. the topic of interest in -- for some countries, it is important but some it is not. armenia manages to benefit from it. farmers went bankrupt. one more question -- this one is about russia. so, you remember that there were girls with tortured animals. we have a human right ombudsman and other people so maybe we should have an animal rights organization and have a legal framework for that. president putin: as far as animal rights, our concern is right of course, but dog owners, pet owners, people have rights. humanitarian issues, humane treatment of animals, this is a separate issue. of course, we need that as well, but that is a separate matter. there are proposals to introduce a tougher punishment and tougher regulations and i would support that. there should be some regulations enforced. we should not go to extremes. it has to be reasonable. to the first part of your question, i think all the members of the eu benefit from what we do as far as integration is concerned. actually, they have their difficulties, yes. specifically because of certain issues they have with kazakhstan, with russia, sanitary regulations. but overall, it increased just like some other countries. i won't mention specifically right now, but there was a huge increase for belarus. their exports to russia have increased dramatically. this is a very useful and beneficial process for all the members of the eau. with every culture, yes, there are certain problems because we need to comply with sanitary regulations. there are certain unresolved issues with that. we provide necessary assistance to our friends to help them set up a sanitary control system. we expect our partners will also help with that, including financial and administrative and professional assistance so that there is a sanitary control system as well. so we don't have any imports coming that would be hazardous or dangerous in any way to our people. there are ways to do that and it can be taken care of quite quickly. >> drt channel. accused of mortal sin in the west. russia today. >> thank you. good afternoon, mr. putin. i'd like to talk about democracy. in the context of the presidential election in the u.s. american politicians love to talk about politics. that is what makes the u.s. exceptional. sometimes they say that other countries are not democratic enough so they share and spread their democracy. these very same people who are so proud of american democracy, common american people started saying that they were betrayed in the aftermath of the presidential election. what's wrong with democracy? is democracy a good thing? another question that i'm concerned about personally -- recently, a person was convicted for seven years for treason. do you think this is adequate punishment for the text she sent about the military train? president putin: as far as the court decision is concern, our courts are independent in russia just like any other country. but, i do believe that this verdict was quite tough. i'm not sure of the details. was it just a text she sent? she wrote what she saw and everybody saw that. this means it was not that big of a secret. i'm not quite sure into the details. i will look into this matter, the accusations against her, the charges brought against her in court. that is number one. number two, your question about democracy. yes, there is an issue. we have been talking about this for quite a long time. our u.s. partners have been ignoring this matter. the problem is the system in the u.s. is archaic. don't have direct elections. they have two steps. first, there is the electoral college and then they elect the president. in certain states, they even have preferences. it is not clear why they have that. it is up to u.s. lawmakers to say why they have that. i don't know. maybe because they provide preferences to certain states, but it is up to american people to sort this out. it is not up to us. the ruling -- i think it is until january 20, right? the democratic party, they clearly forgot -- have forgotten the essence of what this means to be democratic. they have been using administrative clout without shape. like, encouraging people to disobey voter decisions, electors to vote faithlessly. like i said earlier, i believe it is a great country and they will make necessary decisions, learn the lessons and the next electoral cycle -- let's go over there now. let's go. for example, a question about chess. i think we need to change the subject. let's talk about chess now. >> thank you for this chance to ask a question. the -- all of russia was cheering when he was going through the matches with the current world champion. so, the support was promised not only during the big international event, but even at the regional level. there should be a tournament established. in my native land, we don't see any support for chess. we have a very good chessplayer, but when he suggests that we should have a chess club, he gets the reply that there are other priorities. the question is how will we develop chess in our country in the near future and will we maybe have support for chess clubs and such? president putin: first and foremost, i don't think i should interfere with decisions made by local authorities like curriculum and things they should do, things they should add. it is a sensitive issue related to chess as part of the mandatory curriculum or even as an addition. it is up to local authorities or maybe even a specific school to decide that, but we certainly should be proud of our history in chess. we know that we have had people, top chess players, and the players we have today, we are proud of our chess players. you know, we have this talented school in sochi. we have a chess section there. we need to develop chess throughout russia. i really expect in your region, i really hope people will pay attention to chess. they will support the chessplayer you just mentioned and everybody who loves chess. as for sergei, he really played well but magnus carlsen is the top layer of our time. our chess player was good as well. he performed very well. he's a real fighter. i really believe that he will win sooner or later. >> what is your question about? first row please. >> thank you. to crimea and back. so, one of my colleagues here asked about this bridge, but there is no official name. some people call it the crimean bridge, the russian bridge. so, the question is which do you prefer? which would you suggest? and, again, back to stalingrad. the bridge is going to be completed very soon. what is the next big project here? president putin: well, as for the name, it is up to the people. perhaps you could do it in an opinion poll or referendum. the most important thing is to build it. naming is secondary. if you call it the cass bridge, let it be. it has its own issues that needs to be resolved. it has to be energy dependent, self-sufficient in terms of energy supplies. it is very important. certainly, that has to be with our relations with the eu, the european union. they have to make the decision that the baltic states need to join their energy alliance and that causes problems for us in terms of energy supplies. it requires additional resources to build a new supply line. i'm not sure why they are doing it. previously, we didn't have any issues in terms of energy supplies to the baltic states. everything has been running smoothly. our european partners always tell us we need to come together, we need to move closer to find common ground, while exactly the opposite is happening here. they've disrupted our relationship in a sensitive area as to energy. certainly, we will resolve this issue. ensure energy independence. you might have heard we plan to supply liquefied natural gas. we plan to build a power plant. we might use small-scale nuclear plants. this is one of the key areas to develop in. we need to have some kind of an energy resources to drive the economy. road construction, infrastructure -- certainly, there are a lot of issues. there are others pending. the most important thing we need to provide is the use of the opportunities which is really close to our union partners. it is to be economically aligned to the economy in terms of preferences that the region has. so you have a free trade zone and preferences. instead of those, you have it from the federal government. it needs to be all aligned so that you are sustainable without any disruptions to the manufacturing sector, to infrastructure. in terms of crimea, one of the problems is energy supplies. an oil company has finalized its project. the oil pipelines of crimea are fully connected with the oil network, the pipeline network of russia. in the next few days, we will announce that. russian oil and gas will be supplied to crimea. today, right now, we have winter so crimea consumes 1300 megawatts. 800 used used to be supplied by ukraine. its proprietary capacities generate about 1000 or 1100 megawatts. but, in the next two or three days, we will start supplying the russian natural gas and we will start construction of two power plants in crimea with a capacity of 470 megawatts. the total generating capacity will be around 2000 megawatts. as you can see, the peak consumption is 1000 megawatts. it will be around 800 megawatts extra capacity. for the future, that will be needed for development of economy. the other cultural center for manufacturing, tourism, recreation, construction of the hotels. so, this is a landmark event for crimea. i hope this will be good news for them. >> good afternoon, mr. putin. now, the international community is fighting terrorism. first and foremost, with the organization that calls itself islamic state. unfortunately, people in russia are called in the same way including mass media, but we know terrorism has nothing to do with islam or states. don't you think it should be logical and right to forbid the mass media to use islamic state as a name? president putin: what kind of media do you work at? do you need to bend anything? i think it is wrong to bend anything. certainly, islam should not be put together with a terror -- well, you have a person from the region. let's have a question from russia's north. >> good afternoon. you visited our region a number of times. you opened some projects. let's be honest -- it will remain one of the drivers of the russian economy. we have a lot of projects, but we don't have enough roads. there is a project with the russian railroads, etc. you are the person to ask, when is the construction going to start? another question. right now, the taxes of the region get redistributed to the neighboring regions that are having a hard time. is it permanent or temporary? president putin: you just said we need to implement that project. will you be able to do it on your own? no. you need support too. the practice by the finance ministry which calls for leveling out the income of different regions is the appropriate one. there might be regions that get extra income thanks to mineral resources. we need to also keep in mind that all of this belongs to the people. all of the russian people. you can only ensure their rights through that leveling out practice. evening out the incomes of regional budgets. so that the redistribution is necessary to keep economic growth. you are absolutely right we should not have any freeloaders in russia. we need to stimulate regions to increase their tax base. i don't want to go into detail. there are a lot of ways to do it, but it has to be done. we have been trying to do that. we will continue to do that. as for the specific project you referred to, when? well, once it's deemed economically viable, feasible -- if they realize it is going to generate revenue -- we will launch that project. it is a project that the russian economy really needs. it will help diversify our network. it will provide a new capacity for rail transportation and the connection to the port. the port is up and running. we were going to set up one of the biggest enterprises in russia. perhaps it is one of the biggest investment projects in the world at this moment. novatak and its partners, european and chinese, and investors from japan and other countries, have been able to move forward on schedule. it is really surprising given the climate and conditions they are working in. despite the problems that some are trying to create, i don't know why someone is trying to create those problems. i can see the project will be implemented. as we implement this project, certainly, infrastructure will be needed. we will come to that, the sooner the better. >> someone from the east. >> good afternoon, mr. putin. kurdistan 24 channel. i have a question. as you know, kurds play a key role in fighting international terrorism. and russia is playing a very major role in the middle east now. so, what is russia's stance on the fact that the iraqi kurds have it taken steps to independence? >> kurds have their own difficult past. i can only reaffirm that the kurd units have been courageous in fighting international terrorism. they have been really efficient in the battles. we proceed from the premise that we need to act in accordance with international law. ultimately, the rights of the kurds, legitimate rights will be insured, but what will be the form? it depends on iraq. and we will be in contact with baghdad and kurds, but we will not interfere in the diplomatic affairs of iraq. >> let's go with an online publication. >> thank you for this opportunity. we talked about patriotism today a little. this word has been used a lot this year. so, the question is, is the state may be overzealous in terms of patriotism? there was the incident in moscow and onsk. it is hard when hooliganism can be called patriotism. should we take our hooligans and call them patriots? as for the animal torture, you talked about the rights of the pet owners, but there are some animals that don't have owners. they should be taken from the streets. the girl should have a harsher punishment for their action. >> that wasn't the main take away from my statement. as i said, we need to find the most humane principles. we must provide some kind of civilized system. in instances where wild animals attack children, local authorities cannot turn a blind eye to it. as for patriotism, the russian government supports patriotism. we have no other unifying force. should we differentiate between good and bad hooligans? no. we need to distinguish between common sense actions from the scum that you have around it. we should not only rely on the phobias we have from the media space. we need to remember that incidents with the exhibition, perhaps no one would have paid attention to it if it is not been attacked. the photographer was charged in the u.s., but he thought he could do in russia what is unacceptable in the united states. the response was not that civilized, but certainly you have a different government agencies that need to take decisions. the community needs to have some kind of checks and balances. we talked about that at the recent council. it was the council on culture. there have been other questions about the ban of "jesus christ superstar" opera. that was in onsk, right? hey only sold 46 tickets and that is why the organizers of that opera decided not to go ahead with it. it is possible to bend things in the modern world so you do not go down that road. we need a constant dialogue with the community. > education maybe. >> channel one, mr. putin, there are on three hospices available in our country. moscow hospice has been available for only a you years -- for only a few years. the construction is very slow. it is only due to charity funds that this is proceeding and some hildren don't have enough time to wait while it is completed. maybe the government should help considering it is about children. >> probably. the project was initiated by charities. certainly a sensitive question. we always support a project like this. just recently, i granted an award to a priest who devoted all his life to it. certainly, the government is oing a lot in this area. if a charity starts a project, then they have to finish it. you can't really start something and then ask for help, but to buy large -- but we certainly need to focus more on it. you represent channel one and i hope that the municipal authorities will pay more attention to it. >> stop juvenile justice, what s meant by that? >> good afternoon. in a meeting there was a statement that without a public discussion, juvenile systems will not be designed after the estern standard. our system is the same as in scandinavia. in article 116, your decision was implemented in a very strange way. so, now the standard is that there are individuals to whom different standard are applied. if a father hurts his child, he gets a sentence of over two ears but if a neighbor does it he does it, he might just get a ine. we are trying to get signatures to stop the child protection system of the western standard. we have letters and every one of those letters contains a request to meet with you. even now, i have parents behind my back. >> it is best not to slap hildren. not to refer to some kind of traditions. certainly fs bad for parents and neighbors. certainly, you have this practice, but children depends completely on parents. certainly there are a lot of other ways to educate your child without laughing -- educate your child without slapping him. i am against those excesses of hild protection practices. my instruction was completed. i just got a report that it was indeed done. let's revisit the issue. certainly such interference in family affairs is unacceptable. > alexander damas. > i have a question. r. putin, you appoint people from your close circle to the positions of government. i met with mr. meronov, and he is the acting governor. i need this as the continuation of this tradition started a few years ago when you appointed mr. ukorev --i also met with the oungest acting governor of kaliningrad program. he is only 30. is this on purpose? is this practice -- are you going to carry on with this practice of appointing governors his way? hat is the reason? do you not trust the local government? in the mass media and our newspapers, we discuss this question that maybe mr. putin is testing these people and, if so, why? do you have some long-term plans and what are they? >> the only goal is the welfare of russia. you have to boost defense and the economy. we need the right kind of people. how many regions do we have? 8 a 5 and you mentioned just three. is it part of any trends? have they played any key ole? so, you asked do we trust local politicians? yes, the vast majority of russian regions, you have governors who come from those regions. certainly in cases where you need to find someone new, someone from the outside, and this is supported by the people of that particular region. people say they need some kind of a reshuffle, a new lease. ou mentioned three people. there have been many more. he was sent to the republic of comey. these are young people, efficient managers. so they have a lot of energy and a lot of promise. you know, they have a good eputation in term of -- in terms of management. we look at the business qualities and the personal qualities and that makes us think they would be able to perform their duties in an efficient way. i rely on them to do that. as for their future, everything will depend on them. on their performance, on the way people will assess them. he worked for two months and 85% of the region voted for him. but that is not enough. i recently talked to the first woman in space and she thanked me for finding such a good person for her region. this is a sign that the new governor is trying to assimilate and settle down. someone from berlin? >> >> ok, as regards our relationship with europe, i already covered that when i nswered a question from your colleague from poland. it is not because of us that the relationship between russia and your, russia and germany went sour. -- the relationship between russia and europe, russia and ermany sour. we did not impose any sanctions. we would happy to list all these sanctions. if our european partners lift their anti-russian sanctions, we will respond in kind. let's take an objective look at what happened and how we got here. first, our u.s. friends and european friends were part of the agreement between the president. they seized power the next day. nstead of asking them to respect the treaty that was osigned by the foreign ministers of three european countries, they supported this anti-constitutional coup. people in crimea wanted to go back to russia and this caused this bloody conflict. this entire tragedy was based on the fact that they could not coordinate their positions on ukraine. these are purely economic ssues. how can you take an issue and escalate it into this kind of conflict? we have been talking to you for years trying to negotiate the parameters of this agreement. the president said he needed to talk to russia and coordinate ome of the parameters. we need the russian market. our european partners said no and the rest is history. how can you do such a thing? we don't think it is our fault. hat happened then? what is still going on? after this coup, under the pretext of joining this association agreement, immediately they postponed the agreement right away. they did accept what yanokovich sked them to do. year later, they made the decision to ratify and then put it on the back burner again. ow europe does not want to ratify this agreement. i do not know what to say about this situation. this matter of visa free travel for ukrainians, again, it is uestionable. this will always bring ukrainian labor markets to europe and they will be disadvantaged there. it would be good to do it together in a calm way without agitation. this is the kind of relationship we would like to have with europe. we would like to work together against the issues we are facing today. this is also in regards to terror. our hearts go out to the victims in berlin. when we marked the 75th anniversary of the united nations, i said we should all work together and have a united front. i said, how can you do that when you have sanctions and counter sanctions? how can we work effectively to fight terror? as a result, we suffer attacks. i hope we will be able to restore this cooperation in the uture. >> another journalist from the remlin pool. >> mr. putin, what would you say if you were asked whether or not you should become president in 2018 again, and the opposite? >> it is a provocative question. this guy is a provocateur. well, you will get my standard response. when the time comes, i will take a look at the situation in the country and in the world. based on what we have achieved, based on what we will be able to achieve, i will make a decision regarding whether i should run or not in the upcoming presidential election. >> good afternoon. mr. putin, i am sure you know about the controversial situation around the center. what is your opinion on the discussion started by mr. mikelkpolh. he criticized the center for istorting history. what would you say to the people who are angry this is done on state money? >> i had a meeting with him. i met with other officials. i guess that there are other issues that need to be studied further in further detail. specifically the issues related to the way information is presented regarding russia's history. i am not only talking about the recent history like the perishoka years of until now -- p until now. they agreed certain things need to be presented in a more accurate manner. there is one thing i don't like. i don't like to escalate the ssues. there is nothing wrong with having a discussion. this is normal, this is proper, some may like it and some may not. some are more liberal and others are more conservative. we have always had the two trends. we had westerners and russophiles. in the current situation when we think back to 1970 -- back to 1970 -- back to 1917. we will mark the anniversary of the 1917 revolution next year. that is all i will say on hat. what is your question? >> my question is about the environment. russia constructs strategic facilities and there are some organizations that are like isis but their agenda is the environment. some environmental organizations are recognized as agents. how do you sort through all the communications to the president? in our province, there is manipulation of public opinion. ne of -- another thing, this village was isolated from the world and they had supplies 20 kilometers away. he road will be built in 2018, but what will we do until then? >> i will point out this matter o the governor and he will respond with local authorities. his is unacceptable. this happens in different parts of our country and it is too bad that the local authorities are unable to cope with situations. regardless of where they live, people should not be isolated from the rest of the country and they should have access to basic services. you mentioned environmental organization and how we can differentiate between people who really care about nature and foreign agents and such. even though our rivals do use environmental organizations in order to slow down growing sectors. infrastructure projects in ussia or power plants. i remember how foreign buildings supported certain environmental organizations and asked them to argue against construction of seaports and other infrastructure. if we even knew how much money was donated by foreign governments to help those organization stop us. of course we should care about the environment. the nuclear energy agency should be mindful about that. this is a major company and after what happened at fukushima, inspectors said our standards were the safest in the world. we learned all the lessons we had during the soviet period and what happens abroad. our technologies are safest. but there is abuse in the matter of the environment. i talked to one of my foreign friends and he had a meeting with one of his friends who works for an international environmental organization. he said they extorted $30 million and then they would be ff the hook. hey decided to dedicate this money and things like that happen. we are aware. of course, you cannot just ignore such situations. he only way to deal with a situation is to study this matter in a deep and professional way. you should look at the economic effect and environmental safety. consider all the factors. ok, what is this question you wish to ask? >> thank you, mr. putin. i know i looked a little silly there, but my question. i am from an online website. i always watch your addresses and listen to your statements. you say great things and the next day things go in a completely opposite way. >> i think you are exaggerating. >> i will give you some xamples. veryone was nodding when you said in your addresses that aggressive thought should be made. y colleague has heard of the movement that has very aggressive policies to cleanse the authority. people are made to turn away from the church. this movement they provoked the believers and they went to the police and roast a complaint on them -- went to the police and wrote a complaint on them. you say we are committed to truth and justice, but we see that there can be a house onstructed in his area, but he is a civil servant in a not very rich country. several years ago, you said you are in favor of mayors being elected, but that initiative went the other way. hy do you say one thing but in real life we see absolutely the opposite. another journalist, he has been detained for years now and the accusation leveled against him re absurd. we had no hope for justice. another case, a journalist who published a video where a boy was tortured. her post attracted the attention of the law enforcement, but she was the one convicted. we need to do something about he justice system. please save the people. >> what you said about our judicial system, actually, recently we made a number of steps to make our legal practice more humane. this includes criminal law, administrative offenses and other things. we have been pursuing this policy intentionally and we will continue this work. xtreme views, radical actions, we have a large and complex country. here are people who organize and provoke sedition and they do this on purpose. they say they want to raise awareness and things like that. you should not go to extremes with that as well. you should be reasonable. he same goes for so-called atriots and chauvinists. everyone should be reasonable. i have not heard the things you mentioned. i do not know if all those decisions were fair. the decision to build a corporation or an executive building something ostentatious, i agree with that, people should be more modest. i really hope they will hear me. the same goes for the bonuses they receive and their ncome. they should realize what kind of country we live in and not make eople angry. you mentioned the lawsuit. it is up to the court to decide the amount of compensation. if there is an individual who filed a lawsuit to protect their reputation, it is up to the court to decide whether this publication is really uilty. i think it wanted to get several billion robots from rm -- rbc, and the court said they were guilty but they were not find it very much. only 650,000 rubles. they complained that they were harassed and their children were approached. the oracle should be more careful in the way they do work. you should not interfere with their private lives. celebrities, athletes, people like that. we should all follow certain rules. we are all cultured people in our country. there is a question from ctv? >> good afternoon, mr. putin. i would like to follow up on an arlier question. the situation is very difficult. igrants and instability in the middle east. in the light of this, what other new approaches that great powers like russia and china find to resolve all those issues? >> we all know that the relationship between russia and china is very good. we describe it as a strategic partnership, but it is bigger than partnership. what we have between russia and hina, in recent years, economically, china is our biggest trade partner. there was a slight decrease in trade and export to do to objective difficulties, specifically low fuel prices, but we diversified our relations and the amount of trade in high-tech sectors and production has been increasing substantially. we have a major joint project in ircraft manufacturing, space exploration, energy, including uclear energy. we have some very good projects. with infrastructure, we continue and will continue -- there are certain difficulties but i will not talk about this right now. we have some interesting ideas about switching to a national currency in bilateral trade. and china is going to use the rmb as a reserve currency. congratulations to china on that. this is a strong, stabilizing factor in international affairs. we treasure our relationship with china and we expect to continue developing it further in the future. >> good afternoon, mr. putin. i will start with the question i was going to ask last, but since my colleague mentioned this -- >> a year ago, you said he would -- you said you would look into his fate. he case went to court. maybe you have been busy and you didn't have enough time. but please, you can do it. > let me stop you there. if this was public, the presidential staff really look into this matter. if this went to court, it is not as simple as you say. >> you talked about mass media being responsible, but there is a different side to this. media outlets are being sued, but they always lose the case. the court demands that the article they are displeased about should be taken down or destroyed. don't you think this is a very dangerous precedent? >> are you angry with the courts or the fact that you don't have accurate information? you need to take a closer look. how do you expected them to rotect their reputation? should they go to your office and get the billy club? they get to court like people o. he went to rbc and sued. this was an insignificant amount rewarded. it will not affect the economic standing. let me start from a different angle here. the fact is that journalists sometimes criticized government officials and businessmen, i think it is a positive. >> but what about the decision to take down the articles? >> i cannot comment on that. if it was a legal decision, if it was local, you have to comply with that. >> let's talk about taxes. >> in your address, you asked the government to work on the tax system after 2018. how do you see this new system and what will be your stamp if -- what will be your stance if they decide to increase taxes? >> back in 2014, we decided not to increase the tax load on the community. despite the different proposals from different agencies. eventually, there has been no tax hike. instead, we introduced a number of privileges and tax breaks for sme's. we were thinking that self-employed people will also be eligible for tax breaks if they perhaps the need some time o settle down. we were also talking about priority development areas and special taxes seems -- special tax regimes for agriculture. and also high-tech business, including small, high-tech businesses would be eligible for less payments in terms of the payroll tax. in 2018, this period will end. right now, we need to think about it carefully, together with the business community and the experts, including rbk because you are our media outlet and the focus is on usiness. you have good experts on your broadcasts. with that together, we would be able to draft an action plan for the next four years. once we have a solution, we will provide a sustainable foundation for the business community over the next four years. >> way back over there. that poster is about the tragedy that happened. >> good afternoon. we are a regional newspaper. over the last week, our region became top news for a tragic region -- a tragic reason. now our province is leaving the fight -- our province is leading the fight against illegal circulation of alcohol or substances containing alcohol. there are a number of measures that will be implemented to achieve that and it is comforting to know that it is not only our problem. there are other regions suffering from the same thing. so, one of the suggestions is to increase excise duty. there is no proper control. and another big problem is the umber of drunks. it is not only people at the very bottom, but people with low income. they cannot afford to buy alcohol in stores, so they go to illegal traders. first of all, what is your take on the measure suggested by the authorities? and are there any measures going to be taken against the alcohol addiction on the population in general? >> first of all, what happened is a tremendous tragedy. certainly this is an outrage. the inspections and other agencies that were supposed to prevented did not do it -- who were supposed to prevent it did not do it. a number of foreign states set up a workshop to create those ottles and they used methanol. it is not a poison, but some of the people decided to generate xtra cash. o he got somewhere, that the methanol and he used it and that led to the poisoning. as for what the government isn't doing with excise duties, these are proper measures, but it is too little too late. the business segment is now complaining that perfume and other items are going to cost ore. well, we have to admit, still these actions are justified because of these tragedies. i instructed the government to set up a plan and i'm hoping it will yield results and save the lives. as for the level of our addiction, indeed, it is a problem. but, it is not any worse in other countries. especially in nordic european countries. we do have a program in place. we cannot simply ban things. although some bans need to be nstigated. there should be no beer bars near schools. we need to enforce these decisions and continue to work on this. there needs to be a lot of education. i would like the media to support us in this work. this is extremely important. demographics depends a lot on this, so, overall, it one of the key areas of our joint work. we need to end our press conference. love can turn into hatred if we sit here too long. a question on georgia? >> there was a question on the russian drink. but we will get back to it. >> recently our cultural relations were reinstated, but hat is where it stopped. one of the reasons are the territorial problems that exist. what are our prospects in terms of political dialect or are we stuck with the status quo? the possibility of participation etween the ukraine and the eu, but what about georgia, which is going have the same with europe? t is going to come fast. >> i think the regime in europe is a thing of the past, regardless of whether we refer to ukraine or georgia. we need to establish it is a free regime for all citizens of all areas. it is not us who were to blame. it was not russia who started, but eventually we need to start thinking about normalizing relations and perhaps we could go back to a visa free travel for georgians. some georgian officials, it is very important to establish a relationship between law enforcement agencies and security services in terms of ighting terrorism. o this new regime will not ndermine our security. we need to have cooperation in fighting terror. >> was it last time or before hat. >> thank you for gas in particular. we're exporting to china and the u.s. > the market is boundless. >> without your support, there wouldn't have been any of this, o come to see us any time. the question about your governors, your people, our governor, wants to create a platform. so if i come every time to discuss the brand -- >> do you think we could leave that long? >> mr. putin, we have a lot of things to be proud of. t's just one hour on the plane. 'll explain. >> so what we want is to asically restore -- we want to produce the things in kiev, and then bring them here. s the president going to support this idea and maybe do that all over russia? >> in moscow, just recently, there were some low skill markets. t's all been reviving. if you have an idea in terms of presenting your goods, i think we can we can do that and i'm sure the mayor of moscow will hear us and they could talk ogether with the governor. >> i can tell him you support his project. come over to our province. >> thank you for the invitation. i'll try to come as soon as possible. maybe the final question, otherwise is going to be an endless event. ok. ust a couple of questions. > thank you, i'll be precise. when do you think you'll meet with donald trump and strategic issues you'll have on your agenda? strategic issues, i mean. >> it's difficult for me to say that. first, the newly elected resident needs to have time to build his new team. it's not expedient to have meetings that are not prepared for. find ways to normalize our elections during the election ampaign. mr. trump said that it would be proper to normalize our elations and it can't be worse because, well, it can't be worse and i agree with him so together, we'll think of how to ake it better. >> good afternoon. which of the mistakes you made do you think is the biggest one his year and what do you think was your biggest mistake as president. >> i've been asked questions like that several times. every person makes mistakes. >> you can't live your life ithout mistakes. so i'll repeat what i said reviously, but i'll try to certainly do some homework so we'll have fewer mistakes in the future so that we all work in an efficient way. translator: you talked about bringing up an immoral person but it's impossible without reading, but children these days spent all their time on the internet. they play games, but it's the journals and magazines that create the habit of reading. we talked to the libraries, and we talked to the libraries, and they told us that there are cuts, so they can't buy as many magazines and the magazines that they want, so is there going to be any support so the libraries can have everything they need. my second question is from an aide. he asked about robots. what kind of robots are you missing in the kremlin? >> we need robots in production in the industry. we do with delicate issues and certainly a lot depends on us and we need humans in this area. certainly we can't rely on robots in deciding the future of millions of people. for libraries, for children's books, i agree with you. we're trying to revive the library movement, but at a new base. it's important to come to listen, to look at the books, to watch the pictures in the books. and we can see modern media love books but we also need to provide the right content on modern media that is necessary for the education of the younger generation. so that we can influence their souls, their minds, to shape their world view, their attitudes to live. libraries need to be turned into multimedia centers offering both books and online activities. there are other sensitive areas and we need to focus more on it, not just at the federal, but primarily at the regional and municipal level. if think need additional support, from us, we'll think of that but we'll try to support -- it's up to them. we can't just earmark money, it's not always the most efficient way of support, but we definitely need to do that. >> everyone says -- that's not true. there are things that can be praised for but there are some things that raise questions. about the budget. took out some -- programs et cetera, but we have a company -- they don't go straight to the budget. so all this money ends up in accounts so this money, our money, why don't they go to the budget? they could be spent to improve social sphere or something. why? why are they in these accounts? maybe we should just take them. >> well, you represent a liberal business paper and you're saying we need to take it away. well, indeed, we do have the funds, but it's absolutely transparent. they are after the control of the government, and we use some of the funds from that source for other projects. last year and this year -- issued additional money to finance projects in science and finance projects in science and education. and this applies to the so-called megagrants. they also earmark money for small aircraft production for regional airlines. we also use their funds for big aviation projects and for the regional airlines. new aviation engine. luckily, we have a dimension, the first one in 29 years, and we also need a new one, 30 tons, and together with the chinese we'll be able to build a new wide bodied long range passenger jet. but this is the cost we're going to use for extra projects. merry christmas and happy new year. thank you so much for your patience. good luck. [indiscernible] >> c-span's washington jourm live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up this morning, tom jelton talks about his latest book, a nation of nations. a great american's immigration story which examines how americans change following the 1965 immigration act. public religion research institute "the end of whitis christian america." how this has altered politics and social values. c-span's washington journal live beginning at 7:00 a.m. eastern this morning. join the discussion. >> this holiday weekend on c-span here are some of our featured programs. today we'll take a look at farewell speeches and tributes for outgoing members of congress and the white house. starting at 12:30 p.m. with senator barbara mcculsky of maryland. joe biden and then at 8:00 p.m. christmas at the white house. join first lady michelle obama as she receives the the official white house christmas tree. make christmas crafting projects with children visiting the white house and finally the tree-lighting ceremony on the national lawn. a at 8:40 p.m., here from john boehner on the trump presidency and his time this the congress d at 9:40 p.m., the portrait unveiling of harry reid, democrat of nevada. speakers include hillary clinton, joe biden and charles schumer. 20:10:00 p.m., we take you to rongful deathette mock prile trial. at 6:30 p.m. a look at the career of vice president elect mike pence and his now role as vice president. atch on c-span and c-span.org. >> on friday the u.n. security council passed a resolution that calls for an end to israeli settlements in the west bank. the u.s. was the only country to abstain interest the vote while the rest of the council voted in favor. the resolution was put forward by new zealand, malaysia, venezuela and senegal is the first to be adopted in nearly eight years. >> good afternoon. the meeting is called to order. the agenda for this meeting is the situation in the middle east including the palestinian question. the agenda is adopted. in accordance with rule 37 of the couple's provisional rules of procedure, i innovate the representative of israel to participate in this meeting. this is so decided. i propose the counselor invite the permit observer to participate in a meeting and the provisional rules of procedure and the previous practice in this regard. there being no objection, it is so decided. the security council will now begin its consideration of item 2 of the agenda. members of the council have the draft of the resolution document submitted by malaysia, new zealand, senegal and venezuela. i will give the floor to members of the council who wish to make a statement. i give the floor to the ambassador of malaysia. ambassador: thank you for convening this important meeting on short notice. malaysia together with new zealand, venezuela, and senegal are cosponsors of the draft resolutions on the issue of the illegal israeli settlements are calling for this meeting to put the draft to vote. as representatives of various regional groupings at the u.n., the group -- we are bound by similar aims and sense of responsibility to take effective actions on the israeli-palestinian conflict, especially on the issue of settlements. in numerous council meetings on palestine, and at the meeting on settlements last october, we listened to calls by council embers, the u.n. secretary-general, the special leader for the middle east process, the civil society, as well as other u.n. member states for urgent council actions to halt settlement activities and reverse the negative trends that are threatening peace and the viability of the two state solutions. the latest unprecedented attempt by the israeli parliament to legalize outposts on private palestinian lands added further urgency for the council to send a clear signal on the issue of settlement. malaysia acknowledged the efforts by egypt and the arab league for engaging in consultations with council members over the past two months on this issue. we fully support the effort and we share their aim for council action. we also observed an emerging consensus among councilmembers on the issue of settlements. we believe it is urgent for the council to seize the opportunity for effective council action without any further delay. the draft resolution being put to vote today calls for the sensations of all israel he settlement activities, and for affirmative steps to reverse the negative trends on the ground that are endangering the two state solution. it also calls for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against the civilians including acts of terror and calls for accountability. the text urges all parties to intensify their efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the middle east and to and israeli occupations. on the implementations of the resolution the text is requesting that the secretary-general report to the council every three months. mr. president, we realize that some councilmembers may have legitimate concerns on the short time in which the draft was officially circulated, put to cable for adoption. n normal and ideal circumstances we would have preferred a more transparent and inclusive process. we realize that this is anything but a normal situation at -- and e need to tread carefully. exceptional circumstances require bold action and exceptional measures. ultimately, our aim is to bridge the gap in the respective positions of councilmembers in order to reach a consensus. the last time the council adopted resolutions on settlements was over 36 years ago. since then, the situation on the ground has worsened to a point where the very prospect of the two state solution is now in question. there is no doubt that this falls under the responsibility of the security council, under the u.n. charter to maintain international peace and security. with this appeal to all councilmembers, not to lose the opportunity for peace and to exercise our legal, political, and moral responsibility to vote in support of the resolutions which is based on previous resolutions, the values in the principles of the u.n. charter international law, and international standards of human rights. the time for action is now. to prove our long-held commitment and to reinforce that the two state solution is not merely an empty slogan. i thank you, mr. president. >> i thank you for your statement. ambassador: new zealand has made no secret of its frustration that it has been almost eight years since a security council passed a resolution on the middle east peace process. new zealand has worked hard over the last two years to try to advance the resolution on this issue which we consider to be one of the most pressing and unaddressed issue -- issues on the agenda. we are grateful for the willingness of other council members to engage with us on that text. it became apparent that the balance of the council wish to focus on the more pressing issue of the settlements which, as my colleague has said is threatening the viability of the two state solution. this message was clearly delivered in the last quarterly report and regular reports of the secretary-general. or these reasons, we supported the text circulated on wednesday and joined the group calling for a vote on that text today. in order to ensure that this council has a chance to consider it. thank you. >> thank you for your statement. i now give the floor to the ambassador of venezuela. ambassador: thank you. we would like to thank you, sir, for convening this important vote on a resolution which may well be historic. as a contribution to peace. our country together with malaysia and new zealand and senegal decided to cosponsor and call for a vote on this draft resolution on the peace process in the middle east, especially on the issue of the illegal israeli settlements. the decision to present this draft resolution to the council responds to the pressing, urgent need for this body to speak on the concerning situation in the occupied palestinian territories as a result of the continued illegal expansion of settlements of israeli settlements, which is a most serious threat to the two state solution at present. when we submit this proposal, we are driven by the firm commitment to reverse this dangerous trend in order to safeguard the interests of the palestinian people and by virtue of the state and to revitalize the peace process which has for over 20 years. it is high time for the council to take the very great responsibility and has in the origin of the extension of this conflict area -- conflict. reaffirming the right of both countries to coexist peacefully within the internationally secure pre-1967 borders pursuant to the resolution 242 two international law and bearing in mind the advisory opinion of the international on july 9, 2004. this proposal deals with settlements and their destabilizing effect on the region condemning the violence against the civilian population no matter who commits to that and whatever the motives may be. they especially for those countries which have called for open, transparent, frank discussion in this body and the security ouncil which will reinitiate the peace process. as far as the countries which have presented initiatives to emerge from the stalemate, pecial mission must be made of egypt to achieve effective progress in dealing with the palestinian way of knowledge the presence of the council for this vote and new zealand which led this resolution to present this before the end of the year. the proposing countries represent diverse regions of the entire world. we feel encouraged because of the emerging consensus on the issue of settlement. all countries that recognize that illegal settlements are an obstacle to the peace process and a threat to the two state solution many calls of the members of the council, the secretary-general himself, the special coordinator for the peace process, the middle east quartet, amongst other member states and prominent stakeholders in the framework facing the peace process. beyond the threshold of the historic decision this can represent the opening of a new phase in the peace process. after almost four decades of failed attempts. this is why the council and the international community and the uarantor of peace and security must act with -- approving the text today. t has its hope and its members proceeding for peace and aware that history will judge our actions if we can contribute even in a small way to re-initiating this process. we are so new generations will be able to build a better peaceful world. thank you very much, mr. president. mr. president: thank you for your statement. the council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. i shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. with those in favor of the draft resolution contained in the document please raise their and. those against? abstentions? the result of the voting is as follows. 14 votes in favor. one abstention. the draft resolution has been dopted and the resolution -- under resolution 2324. [applause] >> i now yield the floor to those members of the council who wish to make statement after the vote. i give the floor to the ambassador of egypt. ambassador: mr. president, ladies and gentlemen, since the beginning of the arab-israeli conflict in 1948, since the rise f the palestinian people to an independent, sovereign state have not been meant a natural life of dignity and freedom despite clear silence in the international community and dozens of resolutions of the security council and the general assembly of the united nations that remain unimplemented, egypt has taken on its duties. it has confronted many challenges that we have had, many wars underground and in diplomacy in defense of palestinian rights. o move forward to the creation of an independent state of palestine with its capital in east jerusalem, steps toward just and herbal, peaceful settlement in the middle east. ladies and gentlemen, the draft resolution on israeli settlements adopted by the council today and -- undoubtedly expresses a painful reality of llegitimate settlements. it is also borne of a policy of confiscation of palestinian land against a clear principle adopted by the international community, the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory y armed force. this requires all of us to be wise, to be politically realistic in order to take up this issue without any accesses from any party, just as we have seen during our deliberations on the draft resolution. i mean specifically settlements because an issue that is related to one of the most important components of the final settlement, the issue of borders. consultations on the draft, the timing of the vote, in the past ew hours have showed that some international parties want to intervene directly to resolve the question of palestine finally, in accordance with relevant security council resolutions, most notably to 42 of 1967 and 338 of 1973, and 446 of 1990 -- 1997. any opportunity for future steps can in no way mean that we can stay away from the fundamental requirements of the settlement to the question of palestine including the issue of settlement. these are well known, they are set out in previous international resolutions. this security council as well as positions of international powers and the palestinian leadership, ladies and gentlemen, egypt found itself today compelled to withdraw its own draft resolution. this was procedural because of the pressures that the draft has meant since it was this led to even a warning by some members of the security council. this is utterly an acceptable, informed -- unacceptable in form and substance of positions that cannot be placed in doubt pertaining to legitimate palestinian writes. but it also be noted that those pressures -- let it also be noted that these pressures took place in the absence of egypt's political efforts, 24 hours a day ever since the draft was set up in view. in order to maintain legitimate hellas denny and rights through a just and durable settlement in accordance with international resolutions relevant to the issue, we did so. nevertheless, egypt has voted in favor of the draft resolution just voted on. this is based on a firm principled positions that cannot be put in doubt. it ought not to be subject to pressures from any way -- any. we were the first to make peace with israel as we believe in these rather than armed onflict. gypt has been and continues to be one of the strongest believers in the possibility of just, durable peace in the middle east, based on the principles of a two state solution and peace has recognized by i thank you. >> thank you for your statement. i now give the floor to the ambassador of the united tates. ambassador: let me begin with a quote, the u.s. will not support use of additional land for the purpose of settlements during the transitional period. the immediate adoption of a settlement freeze by israel ould create the confidence needed for wider participation in these talks. further settlement activity is in no way necessary for the security of israel and only diminishes the confidence of the arabs that a final outcome can be freely and fairly negotiated. that is the end of the quote. this was said in 1982 by president ronald reagan. he was speaking about a new proposal that he was launching two and the israeli-palestinian conflict while ultimately, president reagan's proposal was not recognized it is illuminating in two espects. they underscore the commitment to achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace between the israelis and palestinians. that has been the policy of every administration, republican and democrat, since before president reagan and all the way through to the present day. second, because president reagan's words highlighted the u.s.'s long-standing position that israeli settlement activity in territories occupied in 1967 on -- undermines israel's security, harms the viability of a negotiated two state outcome, and erodes prospects for peace and stability in the region. today, the security council reaffirmed its established consensus that settlements have no legal validity. the united states has been sending a message that the settlements must stop, privately and publicly, for nearly five decades. through the administrations of president johnson, richard nixon, gerald ford, jimmy carter, ronald reagan, george h.w. bush, bill clinton, george w. bush, and now, barack obama. since 1967, the only president who had not had one israeli-palestinian related resolution passed during his tenure is barack obama. our vote today is fully in line with the bipartisan history of how american presidents have approached both the issue and the role of this body. given the consistency of this position across u.s. administrations, one would think it would be a routine vote for the u.s. to allow the passage of the resolution with the elements in this one, reaffirming the long-standing position on settlements, condemning violence, and incitement, and calling for the parties to start taking constructive steps to reverse current trends on the ground. these are familiar, will articulate components of the u.s. policy. but in reality, this vote for us was not straightforward because f where it is taking place, at the united nations. for the simple truth is that for as long as israel has been a member of this institution, israel has been treated differently from other nations at the united nations. not only in decades past such as the infamous revolution that the general assembly -- resolution at the general assembly adopted in 1975 determining that zionism is a form of racism, but also in 2016, this year. one need only look at the 18 resolutions adopted or the 12 adopted in the human rights council, more than those focused on syria, iran, north korea, and south sudan put together. to see that in 2016 israel , continues to be treated differently from other member states. like u.s. administration's before, the obama administration has worked tirelessly to fight for israel's right to simply be treated like any other country. from advocating for israel to finally be granted membership to you and regional body, not -- it's something no other member state had been denied, to fighting that ensure that -- ensuring that israeli ngos are not denied accreditation because they are israeli and getting yom kippur officially recognized as a u.n. holiday, to pressing this counsel to rake its indefensible silence in response to terrorist attacks on israelis. as the u.s. has said repeatedly, such unequal treatment not only hurts israel, it undermines the legitimacy of the united nations itself. the practice of treating israel differently at the u.n. matters for votes like this one. for even if one believes the resolution proposed today is justified, or even more necessitated by events on the ground, one cannot completely separate the vote from the venue. and member states that say they are for the two state solution must ask themselves some difficult questions. for those states that are quick to promote resolutions condemning israel, but refuse to recognize when innocent israelis are the victim of terrorism, what steps will you take to stop treating israel differently? for those states that passionately denounced the closures of crossings in gaza as exacerbating the humanitarian situation, but say nothing of the resources diverted from to dig gaza's residents tunnels into israeli territory so the terrorists can attack israelis in their homes, what the double about standard that undermines the legitimacy of this institution? member states could -- should ask themselves about the double standards when it comes to this counsel taking action. this morning we came together as a council and we were unable to muster the will to act to stop the flow of weapons going to killers in south sudan who are perpetrating mass atrocities that the u.n. has said could lead to genocide. we couldn't come together just to stem the flow of arms. earlier this month, this counsel could not muster the will to adopt the simplest of resolutions calling for a -- pause pods in the of the savage bombardment of innocent civilians, hospitals, and schools in aleppo. yet, when the resolution on israel comes through for this counsel, members suddenly summon the will to act. it is because this forum continues to be biased against israel, because there are important issues that are not sufficiently addressed in this resolution, and because the u.s. does not agree with every word in this text that the u.s. did not vote in favor of the resolution. but it is because this resolution reflects the facts on the ground, and is consistent with u.s. policy across republican and democratic administrations throughout the history of the state of israel that the united states did not veto it. the united states has consistently said we would block any resolution that we thought would undermine israel's security or seek to impose a resolution to the conflict. we would not have let this resolution pass had it not also addressed counterproductive actions by the palestinians such as terrorism and incitement to violence which we have repeatedly condemned and repeatedly raised with the palestinian leadership and which of course must be stopped. unlike some on the un security council, we do not believe that outside parties can impose a solution that has not been negotiated by the two parties. nor can we unilaterally recognize a future palestinian state. but it is precisely our commitment to israel's security that make the united states believe we cannot stand in the way of this resolution as we seek to preserve a chance of attaining our long-standing objective, two states living side by side in peace and security. let me briefly explain why. the settlement problem has gotten so much worse that it is now putting at risk the very viability of that two state solution. the number of settlers in the roughly 150 authorized israeli settlements east of the 1967 lines has increased to -- dramatically. since the 1993 signing of the oslo accords which launched efforts that made a comprehensive and lasting peace possible, the number of settlers has increased like 355,000. the total settler population in the west bank east in jerusalem exceeds 590,000. 90,000 settlers are living east of the separation barrier that was created by israel itself. since july 2016 when the middle east issued a report highlighting international concern about a systematic process of land seizures, settlement expansion, and legalization, israel has approved expansion rather than dismantling these and other outposts which are illegal even under israeli law, now there is new legislation advancing the -- that would legalize most of the outposts, a factor that propelled the decision by the sponsors to bring a before the -- it before the council. the israeli prime minister recently described his government as can more committed than any in history. one of his leading coalition partners declared that "the air -- era of the two state solution is over." at the same time, the prime minister has said that he is still committed to pursuing a two state solution but these statements are irreconcilable. one cannot simultaneously champion expanding settlements and champion a two state solution that would and the -- conflict.nklin one has to make the choice between settlement and separation. in 2011, the u.s. vetoed a resolution that focused exclusively on settlement, as of settlements were the only factor harming the prospect of a two state solution. the circumstances have changed dramatically. since 2011, settlement growth has only accelerated. since 2011, multiple efforts to pursue peace through negotiations have failed and since 2011, president obama and secretary kerry have warned you -- publicly and privately that the absence of progress toward peace and continued settlement expansion was going to put the two state solution at risk. thisver, unlike in 2011, condemns violence, terrorism and incitement which also poses an extremely grave risk to the two state solution. this resolution reflects trends that will permanently destroy the hope of a two state solution if they continue on their current course. the united states has not taken the step of voting in support of this resolution because the resolution is too narrowly focused on settlements. when we all know are we all -- or we all should know that , many other factors contribute significantly to the tensions that perpetuate this conflict. let us be clear. even if every single settlement were to be dismantled tomorrow, peace still would not be attainable without both sides acknowledging uncomfortable truths and making difficult choices. that is an and disputable fact, yet it is one that is too often overlooked by members of the united nations and members of this counsel. for palestinian leaders, that means recognizing the obvious, that in addition to taking innocent lives, the growth of violent extremism erodes prospects for peace. the most recent wave of palestinian violence has seen terrorists commit hundreds of attacks, including driving cars into crowds of innocent civilians and stabbing mothers in front of their children. yet rather than condemn these attacks, other radical factions, and certain members of fatah have held up the terrorists as euros and used social media to -- heroes and used social media to inside others to follow in their footsteps. while president abbas and his leaders have made clear their violence to bash aversion to violence and extremism, they have to often failed to condemn specific tax or condemn the praise heaped on the perpetrators. our vote did not in any way diminish the united states's steadfast commitment to the security of israel. the only democracy in the middle east. we would not have let this pass unless it addressed counterproductive actions by the palestinians. we have to recognize that israel faces very serious threats in a very tough neighborhood. israelis are rightfully concerned about making sure there is not a new terrorist haven next-door. president obama and this administration have shown an unprecedented commitment to israel's security because that is what we believe in. our commitment to that security has never wavered and it never will. even with a financial crisis and budget deficits, we repeatedly increase funding to support israel's military, and in september, the obama administration signed a memorandum of understanding to provide $38 billion in assistance to israel over the next 10 years, the largest single pledge of assistance in u.s. history to any country. and as the israeli prime minister himself noted, our military and intelligence cooperation is unprecedented. we believe, though, that continued settlement building seriously undermines israel's security. some may cast the u.s. road as a -- vote as a sign we have finally given up on a two state solution. nothing could be further from the truth. none of us can give up on a two state solution. we continue to believe that solution is the only viable path to provide peace and security for the state of israel and freedom and dignity for the palestinian people. we continue to believe the parties can still pursue this path if both sides are honest about the choices and have the courage to take steps that will be politically difficult. while we can encourage them, it is up to the two parties to choose this path. as it always has been. we hope they will begin making these choices before it is too late. i thank you. >> i would like to thank the ambassador of the united states for her statement and i would like to give the floor to the ambassador of france. ambassador: mr. president, the adoption of resolution 2334 is an important event and in many ways, a historic event in the work of the security council. indeed this is the first , resolution adopted by this counsel -- council in eight years. it is important that the security council is making its position known as clearly in this to state what is obvious, and that is that israeli settlement building undermines little by little the possibility of having a viable and independent palestinian state living side by side with israel. so it is necessary for the security council to recall the collective and unanimous attachment of the international community to the two state solution and to express its position clearly on the threats to that solution. unless we act resolutely toward that end, the two state solution will disappear like a mirage in the desert. even though there is no credible alternative that could meet the legitimate aspirations of both parties. mr. president, over the past few decades, israeli settlement building has accelerated. this only fuels tensions on the ground and undermines the aspirations of the international community. settlement building which is , illegal under international law, is part of a deliberate policy which aims at putting the international community and the --ple on the ground before back on the ground between jerusalem and the west bank. the expanding of settlements beyond the green line and the de facto annexation of zone c forces the transfer of the population -- demolition of palestinian homes, restriction to movements, building of separation wall, this is all part of this policy. this policy is not only illegal under international law, it also threatens prospects for the creation of a viable and independent palestinian state. which is in fact the best guarantee for israeli security and for a lasting solution to this conflict. that is a message that france by voting in favor of this resolution wanted to send today. ,now while settlements are the , main threat on the ground to the two state solution, it is not the only threat. active violence, incitement to violence, and terrorism also undermines the chances of having two states, palestinian and israeli state, live side-by-side peacefully one day. they destroyed trust and dialogue among the people that are meant to live together side-by-side. from this point of view, the resolution strongly reiterates its condemnation of all acts of terrorism, of incitement to violence, and deliberate attacks against civilians. the resolution calls on the palestinian authority to continue to do everything possible to discourage terrorist undertakings. and to identify and to point out threats to the two state solution is important, it is not enough. it is also important to work on re-creating after two years of impasse the conditions for resuming negotiations. israelis, just as the palestinians have a vital , interest in peace and that peace can only be based on the two state solution. that is the aim of the french initiative, to try to relaunch the peace process. framework, after the important meeting of june 3 of this year, france decided to organize in paris on january 15 an international conference, the goal of which will be to present the contribution of the international community to relaunch the negotiation process and towards reaching a peace agreement. of course, with the understanding and everyone agrees on that, only palestinians and israelis will peace into achieve that direct negotiations. the resolution we adopted today, and the paris international conference, are two sides of the same coin in that reiterating , our joint attachment to the two state solution and towards creating the conditions that make it possible to achieve that solution. this resolution and the french initiative are, we hope, will be the first and very important steps towards relaunching a credible political process, a process that we will need to collectively pursue over the weeks and months to come. this resolution, to sum up, certainly is not the end of the road. it's an important stage, an important step, a historic step on the difficult and demanding path that should lead us to peace and security in the middle east. mr. president, colleagues, let us together assume the very heavy responsibility that is incumbent on all of us on this difficult path. thank you very much. >> thank you. i give the four to the -- floor to the ambassador from venezuela. ambassador: thank you very much. we express our satisfaction of the adoption of the resolution with the conviction that this is a unique opportunity to push forward the peace process and reestablish confidence between parties. it allows the security council to leave an action behind and emerge from it. taking into account the aspirations and concerns of both peoples and defending the inalienable rights of the palestinian people to a free, sovereign, independent state in accordance with the resolution 181 of the general assembly. of course, this resolution is just one step forward. that this conflict is a very complex one with many obstacles. there is an urgent need to decisively respond to the greatest challenge to the two state solution, the continued expansion of illegal israeli settlements on the occupied territory of the state of palestine. illegal settlements are against international law. it injures the rights of the palestinian people, depriving them of their land, their homes, their means of life, their free circulation, and limiting their social and economic development, and this is why this council must speak categorically. the united nations, the general assembly and the security council have the obligation and the mandate to defend peace and international law. furthermore, the united nations and the security council have the moral obligation to support the palestinian cause, because they have a very great responsibility for the tragedy of the palestinian people. this is why they must issue all the resolutions they can to protect the palestinian people. and force israel to respect international law and frankly, openly enter a peace process based on a two state solution. the resolution we adopted today is the first step on the path to a peacefully negotiated solution between israel and palestine with support of the international amenity. it is therefore necessary for israel, the occupying power, to put an end to policies derived from [inaudible] as well as the gaza strip, which has gone for almost a decade and is a flagrant violation of international law. these are essential conditions for what we have achieved today to be consolidated and move forward, toward a political solution in which israel and palestine as a full member of , the united nations and with east jerusalem as its capital will able to exist within the pre-1967 borders. the members of the council have recognized that illegal settlements are a systematic obstacle to the peace process and the threat to the two state solution. hence, the increasing the urgent -- increasingly urgent need for israel to take its responsibility and comply with the resolution which this council and the general assembly adopted, putting to an end a pernicious practice that denies the human rights of the palestinian population. [indiscernible] no matter who the author is of terrorism and what their motives are. with the same emphasis, we condemn the continued violations of the rights of the palestinian people in the occupied territories and the besieged gaza strip. through the use of indiscriminate, disproportionate force by the military and israel's security. we repudiate the violence of extremist settlers against the palestinian population. the occupying powers subjecting men, women, and children to prison. we call, once again, for the release of all children who are unfairly languishing in israeli prisons, as you can appreciate. a lot needs to be done in order to reverse the negative situation and ensure that israel complies with its obligations as an occupying power. however, that with today's decision, the necessary space to renew dialogue has been opened and a negotiated settlement to this conflict [indiscernible] for almost 70 years. the council has had the vision and the courage to adopt this resolution, this is the contribution of all those who contributed to the historic outcome especially egypt, new , zealand, and the countries who cosponsored this resolution. venezuela reaffirms its commitment to peace and security and with the palestinian cause. we will remain vigilant of the -- at the development of the task of assisting a negotiated solution to this conflict. in accordance with article two of the treasury of the united nations, we will support all efforts and initiatives oriented toward reaching the two state solution in accordance with international law. thank you very much, mr. president. >> thank you for your statement. ambassador of venezuela. i give the floor to the ambassador of china. ambassador: mr. president. china welcomes the adoption by the security council resolution 2334 on the israeli settlement, and appreciates the important by its sponsors in promoting its adoption. the question of palestine has been the crux of the middle east issue. it is also the underlying cause of the situation in the region. the shared responsibility of the international community. peace talks between the two sides, the ever-expanding israeli settlements, ongoing violence and conflict, the ever deteriorating humanitarian situation and the more intense -- attention between pakistan and israel. all this has threatened the two state solution. china has all along supported the council and playing a role in the -- 2334 adopted by the council today is significant in that it reflects the common aspiration and wish of the international community and heats the just demands of the palestinian and arab countries. -- immediately and its stopement activities, motion palestinian homes in order to reinstate peace talks. china encourages both sides to respect their obligations to exercise restraint and gradually established mutual trust. supporterbeen a firm of the just cause of palestinian people. china supports the palestinian people in supporting a fully sovereign and independent state based on the 1977 -- 1967 borders with east jerusalem as its capital. china welcomes and supports full access that helps ease tensions between the two sides and achieves the two states mission and the peaceful coexistence between the two sides. china is ready to work with the international community in scaling diplomatic efforts to to the just solution questions between the two countries. i thank you, mr. president. i'd like to thank you for your statement and will give the floor to the ambassador of the united and him. >> mr. president, the united kingdom welcomes the adoption of the resolution today. palestine -- israel issue in over seven years. the adoption of this resolution is first and foremost a clear reinforcement of the international community's conviction that a two state solution remains the only viable route to sustained arab-israeli peace. as the report in july highlighted, the foundations up each -- peace, goodwill, are being eroded from all sides from violence,use of incitement, demolitions and settlement activity. ultimately, as long as terrorists are treated as martyrs, peace will be distant. the scourge of into semitic, racist and hateful language, must be excised from the region. it is critical that the continuean leadership their efforts to tackle terror and incitement, strengthen institutions, and develop a sustainable economy. and the united kingdom will continue to provide the palestinian authorities the professional support to help and develop its security institutions. but goodwill alone will not secure peace. today's resolution is a recognition that the two state solution is slipping away. prospect forg the a contiguous palestinian state, settlement construction is corroding the possibility of a two state solution. process, oslo settlements have doubled to 500 70,000, including 85,000 settlers deep in the west bank. the quartet report warns of sliding into a one state reality of perpetual occupation and conflict. that is no future at all. is a dear andgdom close friend of the state of israel. we reject all efforts to delegitimize or undermine israel. ,he movement for boycotts divestments, and sanctum -- sanctions, rooted in a culture of prejudice and hostility to israel is a barrier these -- to peace. my government will never support the cause of boycotts or delete my station in any way. it is because of our steadfast commitment is -- to israel's security and its existence as the jewish homeland that we voted for today's resolution and arked tirelessly to secure balanced text. believe israeli settlement activity represents a clear and present danger to our shared vision of two states for two peoples. the long -- they united kingdom's long-standing view is that settlement expansion is illegal and not in israel's long-term interests. today's resolution also takes important and balanced steps to callingpeace through for immediate steps to prevent incitement and all acts of violence against civilians, including terrorist. strengthening efforts to combat terrorism, including existing security coordination. and condemning all acts of terrorism. second, this resolution calls upon both parties to act on the basis of international law and to refrain from provocative actions in order to rebuild trust and the conditions for peace. third, this resolution calls upon all parties to exert collective effort, launch credible negotiations on all state issues. urging the acceleration of international and regional efforts to support a comprehensive peace. we have long held that for negotiations to be successful, they will need to leave to a safe and secure israel, living alongside a viable and sovereign palestinian state, based on 1967 borders with agreed allowance. jerusalem is the shared capital of both states and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. in closing, mr. president, we recognize that the passing of this resolution will not change the situation on the ground overnight. 2017 will not be an easy year for the israel-palestine issue. 50 days and the occupation of gaza in the west bank, including east jerusalem. 100 years since my country issued a declaration. however, we must all uphold our responsibility. this council has finally upheld its responsibility today in order to deliver the long-term security that israelis deserve. and the statehood and and to the occupation the palestinians are calling out for. thank you. >> i would like to thank the ambassador to the united kingdom and now give the floor to the ambassador -- of uruguay. >> we voted for this resolution. after eight years, we had a historic opportunity. it threaten the two state solution and peace negotiations between israelis and palestinians. resolution 2334 adopted a few minutes ago recalls a constant call from security members of the council to break the status quo and reverse the negative trend from the ground. it is a specially, and in this case, with regard to the illegal settlements built by israel occupying palestinian territory. today, we are at a very important moment for the two-state solution. we hope this resolution will be a call for action for both israel and palestine to resume bilateral negotiations, which will lead to a just and lasting peace, responding to the interests of both parties. uruguay confirms its support for the possibility of both israel and palestine living in peace, side-by-side, with internationally recognized borders, free from any action that might breach the peace. we also reaffirm support to the two-state solution. it is the only possibility that would make it possible for israel and palestine to coexist peacefully. it is very important for the authorities to give political symbols to get out of the quagmire caused by misunderstandings, hatred, and violent confrontation. in the same way, they must both refrain from adopting unilateral decisions which hamper dialogue and they must comply with good faith in their obligations under international law and with the resolution by this council. uruguay reaffirms that they will continue working in order to reactivate the peace process in the middle east as quickly as possible. and make the two-state solution a reality once and for all. two states living in peace, cooperating. we owe that to many generations of israel is in palestinians who are exhausted or worn out after so many years of conflict. thank you very much, mr. president. >> thank you for your statement, and now the ambassador of the russian federation. >> thank you, mr. president. the delegation of russia, as i am sure many others in this room are troubled by the process that unfolded around today's resolution. the draft has been worked out for many months, but it does not benefit the purpose of the resolution. our country has been involved for many years in the middle east peace process. as a cochair of the madrid process and the quartet roadmap. the experience we gained confirms that resolving this issue is only possible through direct negotiations. that is precisely what dictated the work we did on arranging in september in moscow a meeting between prime minister of israel, netanyahu, and us. today we voted on the resolution of four israeli settlement on the premise it is based on tested language that reflects the general position of the international community on the illegality of israeli settlements there, on occupied palestinian territories. we think it is important to document condemns violent acts against civilians and terrorism. both sides need to put an end to violence and the rhetoric of incitement and provocation, and confrontation. these kinds of actions no doubt undermine the possibility of having a two-state solution. russia will continue working on relaunching negotiations, and restoring palestinian unity based on the political platforms. with this connection we confirmed the importance of the work of the quartet as effective. and we also note the report of the quartet published in july on the situation is still very much relevant as a consolidated signal of the international community to both sides of the conflict. by implementing recommendations contained in that report we look forward to -- returning it back to a political track. thank you very much. >> i would like to thank the ambassador of the russian federation and i now give the floor to the ambassador of japan. >> thank you, mr. president. japan is concerned about the stagnation in the peace process and is alarmed that a two-state solution may be slipping from our reach. we have been consistent and our position that the settlement activity is in violation of international law, and that it has been steadily eroding the viability of a two-state solution. with this in mind, japan has voted in favor of the resolution. it is important that they commit themselves to the resolution just adopted so as to make meaningful progress in the middle east peace process. the council must also reaffirm its commitment to a two-state solution and support the parties to that end. japan remains firm in its belief that peace in the region can be realized only through negotiations. and will not recognize any attempt to change by either party of the resolution. i would like to conclude by stressing that japan will continue to engage in this matter, both in and out of the council, to facilitate the peace process, with a view to keeping the two-state solution. thank you mr. president. >> thank you for your statement. i give the floor to the ambassador of malaysia. >> thank you, mr. president. today, after decades of -- in the council on the conflict, the council finally exercises legal, political, and moral responsibility to take effective actions to reverse the negative trends that are threatening peace and the two-state solution's. these historic adoptions of resolution 2334, we prove our sincere commitment to peace and to the two-state solutions. we support the members that drafted the resolution today. we are encouraged by the permanent members of the council. they appreciate the full support and solidarity shown by new zealand, and senegal, in carrying these resolutions forward. mr. president, we have been warned that it constitutes the single biggest threat to peace and the two-state solution. it is illegal under international law, as reinforced by the 2004 advisory opinion. they also lead to violence, demolitions, discriminatory policies, as well as denial of development of national resources. decades of great injustice and gross violations of human rights have perpetuated frustrations for those who have nothing to lose. leading to further radicalization's in the region and beyond. recent developments have been made -- have made it more urgent for the council to act, especially by the israeli parliament to legalize outposts on private palestinian lands. we need to send a strong and clear signal that this is simply not acceptable. today, the council has redeemed itself to send peace in the right direction, away from the violence, unjust, and illegal acts. we are giving hope to both the people of israel and palestine. the majority of whom still believe in the two-state solution, and still want peace. this is not just a victory for palestine. it is a victory for the council, the united nations, the rule of law, for peace, and for humanity as a whole. it is also a victory for the people of israel, who still believe in living side-by-side in peace and security with the palestinians and the arab neighbors. in the next few months, the council exerts pressure on both sides. we urge all member states to abide by the obligations under the resolutions. mr. president, as we enter into 50 years of israeli occupation next year, we need to take a step back to reflect on our collective failures for the past half a century that have led to our current predicament on the viability of the two-state solution. although our actions today are significant and helping activities, we need to recognize that we are adjusting the symptoms and not the root causes of the problem. in the long-term, the council and the international community must and the longest occupations in modern history. which have given rise to and sustained the settlement enterprise. we urge all parties to resume the peace process in order to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the middle east on the basis of the relevant resolutions and initiatives, including the arab peace initiative. we also reaffirm our support, including by france and russia. lastly, the days are coming to an end. we won't play an active role in these conditions for peace in the region and in defending the two-state solution. in the line with our principal positions on the palestinian question. i thank you, mr. president. >> thank you for your statement. i give the floor to the ambassador of angola. >> we welcome the adoption today of resolution 2334. i would like to thank the promoters, egypt, libya, new zealand, senegal, and venezuela, for presenting it to the council. for far too long, a source of deep frustration and despair to the national community as a whole has been the continued expansion of the illegal settlements by the israeli authorities, which have perpetuated an atmosphere of mistrust, hostility, and violence among israelis and palestinians. there was no doubt these settlements are illegal under international law, so we find it disappointing the israeli authorities dispute this and believe that their final status should be determined in talks on palestinian statehood's. -- statehood. palestinian statehood will not be possible of settlements are expanded. and any possibility of a contiguous palestinian state is illuminated -- eliminated. we ask both parties to refrain from negative unilateral actions which could injure the prospects of the two states living side-by-side in peace and harmony. mr. president, the resolution by this council represents only a positive contribution to peace and security in the world, which is again, the premier region -- reason for this body of counsel. if the resolution is implementable, i hope that resolution 2334, just adopted, will be effectively implemented. and understood clearly by key parties. this calls for unity of the security council, unity by the palestinians, unity and israel. above all, this resolution 2334 calls for commitment, peace, particularly by the two main parties, israel and palestine. in closing, mr. president, let me say this resolution is not an imposition on terms by the united nations, but rather, a measure to salvage the prospects of the two-state solution. therefore, we hope that we will definitely see this step in the right direction, as we have several times in this council. thank you mr. president. >> thank you for your statement, ambassador of angola. i give it over to the ambassador of new zealand. >> today is a significant day for this council, as the applause ringing around this chamber earlier this afternoon attests. i was very pleased that in this last meeting for the year, we were able to adopt a very positive step on a difficult issue. the applause reflects the frustration this council has been unable for so long to pass a resolution on the israeli-palestine issue, despite reports from the secretary-general and the coordinator that a two-state solution was slipping away and urgent action was necessary. as i noted earlier, the text of resolution 2334 is on settlements, the viability of the two-state solution. however, as others have pointed out, it also includes welcome elements on the need to stop violence and incitement and lay groundwork for a return to negotiations. there is no question that ongoing israeli activity in palestinian -- is an obstacle and a great threat to the viability of the future palestinian state. as my prime minister said her this month, these of settlements violate international law and have created enemies where they should have been neighbors. every settlement creates -- that the land will one day be part of a greater israel. every settlement takes land away from palestinians needing homes or farmland or roads. today's resolution provides important signals to the parties and international community about a way forward. it reaffirms the central importance of preserving the two-state solution is the only model we have for achieving a negotiated peace. the resolution also prepares the ground for return to negotiations as soon as possible. the resolution reaffirms through the united nations most powerful organ, that citizens -- a major obstacle to peace. it condemns the acts of violence, propagation, terror, and incitement that of driven the two sides apart and heightened hostility and mistrust on both sides. the reporting mechanism should provide a firm foundation for the council to encourage the parties toward negotiations on a viable two-state solution. we recognize there is much more the resolution might have done. this council must stand ready to provide additional support to the parties, including by setting out parameters for negotiations on the time is right. but today we focused on what is achievable right now, and that is what we believe today. i thank you. >> i think the ambassador of new zealand for his statement. i give the floor now to the ambassador of senegal. >> thank you, mr. president. mr. president, we sponsor resolution 2334, along with new zealand, malaysia, and the republic of venezuela. senegal wishes to reaffirm its principal position on settlements which are illegal from the point of view of international law. indeed, while the peace process is at a stalemate, we see continued, a speeded up process of settlements of the areas of the west bank in jerusalem. the settlement and occupation encourages the violence affecting both israelis and palestinians. it affects their rights, the right of both people to peacefully have recognized borders. together with the israelis and palestinians, with home we as members of the council share the same aspirations to peace and stability, we must find the path to negotiation in order to reach a peaceful, happy solution to this feud. and we can renew our condemnation of accept terrorism and incitement to violence, no matter who the author is, or what the motives may be. we reaffirm the urgency of relaunching the peace process. this is why we encourage the initiative. diplomatic efforts undertaken by egypt and the federation for these initiatives deserve, we believe, greater coordination. to conclude, it is up to the international community, first and foremost, -- to work on this two-state solution. our faith was reconfirmed during the international day of the united nations. and i quote what he said. despite the process, we have a strong conviction that efforts must be continued, strengthened, and intensified, in order to realize the two-state solution. the two states should be able to live side-by-side in peace and security. each of them within its own internationally recognized border. in accordance with all the relevant resolutions of the united nations and the efforts of the quartet. on that basis, senegal, faithful to its principles and orientation, and as chair of the united nations committee, for the in alienable rights of the palestinian people, continue to reach a two-state solution. thank you. >> i think the representative of senegal. i national make a statement. -- i now shall make a statement. >> i thank the sponsors for their efforts and the delegations that worked so hard and intensely to reach a result. it has been voted in favor because we are convinced it will contribute to preserving the two-state solution. which we believe is the only solution that could lead to a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace for palestinians and israelis. this piece can never be brought from outside, but will need to be negotiated. the international community does have an obligation to do everything it can to promote an agreement. with today's vote, this security council did what it had to do. over the past two years, spain has repeated numerous times, that we were in favor of the council on the palestinian question when the time was right. and if possible, to have a text on which there was a consensus that could move towards peace. that day has come today. the text of the resolution we adopted today that fills the necessary requirements. it is a balanced text that only strives for peace. these two years we have repeated many times in the same chamber, what is the position of spain on the palestinian question? we have voiced dated the settlements are counter to international law. and one of the main obstacles to make the two-state solution a reality. so that israel and palestine can live peacefully and insecurity and mutually recognized borders. furthermore, the incitement to hatred and acts of terrorism not only are morally and legally reprehensible, but undermine efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace. they should be strongly condemned. the resolution we have just adopted is fully compatible with that position. the security council has taken a position twice on the palestinian question. the last time was eight years ago. and we welcome the fact that this has been brokered. this is the result of work throughout these years. the state has contributed to this, motivated only by a sincere wish for lasting peace. as spain will continue working, as long as is necessary, based on the motivation of a just and lasting peace between palestine and israel, which are be the outcome of a negotiated agreement between the two parties. i know go back to my role as president of the security council and would like to give the floor to the ambassador of israel. >> mr. president, today is the bad day for this council. the resolution you just voted on is hypocrisy. thousands are being massacred in syria, this council wasted valuable time and effort condemning the democratic state of israel for building homes in the historic homeland of the jewish people. we have presented the truth time and again to this council. we encourage you not to believe the lies presented in this resolution. by voting yes in favor of this resolution, you have in fact voted no. you voted no to negotiations. you voted no to progress. and a chance for a better life for israelis and palestinians. and you voted no to the possibility of peace. secretary-general ban ki-moon was at this council one week ago, said that the u.n. and i quote, at this resolution, [indiscernible] criticizing israel. this resolution will be added to the long and shameful list of anti-israel u.n. resolutions. instead of charting a course forward you are sending a message to the palestinians that they should continue on the path of terrorism and incitement. that they should continue to hold people hostage, that they should continue to seek meaningless statements from the international community. the sad truth is that today's vote will be a victory for terror. it will be a victory for hatred and violence. by continuing to provide excuses for the palestinians, to avoid recognizing our right to exist, you are only maintaining the status quo. the world is undergoing great change. the new secretary-general will soon assume council. i call on this council to take this opportunity to turn a new page, put an end to the bias and obsession with israel. stop this endless attempt to blame all the problems of the middle east on the one true democracy in the region, and make clear to the palestinians that the only way -- the only way forward is to end incitement and terror, and to enter into direct and meaningful negotiations with israel. just two months ago, unesco approved an absurd resolution, denying the connection between the jewish people and jerusalem. today, this council, including many of the world's leading democracies, the beacons of liberty voted to condemn the , state of israel. you voted to condemn the jewish people for building homes in the land of israel. you voted to ban us from building in our historical capital of jerusalem -- the heart and soul of the jewish people. with the resolution, tomorrow night, israel and the entire jewish community around the world will celebrate the holy day of hanukkah. over 2000 years ago -- jewish people were banished from our temple in jerusalem, and we were issued decrees, trying to sever us from religion and our heritage, but we prevailed. the jewish people fought back. we gained our independence and we like the menorah candles in the temple. i ask each and every member of this council who voted for this resolution, who gave you the right to issue such a decree, denying our eternal rights in jerusalem? what this council have had the nerve to condemn your country from building homes in your capital? would you ban the french from building in paris? would you ban the russians from building in moscow? would you ban the chinese for building in beijing? would you ban the british for building in london? would you ban the americans from building in washington? we overcame those decrees during the time of mcabee, and we will overcome this evil decree today. we have full confidence in the justice of our cause in the righteousness of our path. we will continue to be a democratic state, based on the rule of law, full, civil and human rights to all our citizens, and we will continue to be a jewish state, probably -- proudly reclaiming the land of our forefathers, with a maccabees fought our oppressors, and king david ruled from jerusalem. this holy book -- the bible -- contains 3000 years of the history of the jewish people in the land of israel. no one -- no one can change this history. >> i thank the representative of israel for his statement and now i give the floor to the observer state of palestine. >> thank you very much, mr. president. i thank you for convening this meeting. this important meeting, and express the state of palestine's sincere appreciation for the principal efforts you have exerted in both your national capacity, as well as in spain's capacity as president of the security council for this month. the council's action, while long overdue, is timely, necessary, and important. the resolution adopted reaffirms the council's decades-long position that israeli settlements in the palestinian occupied territory, including in east jerusalem, the eternal capital of the state of palestine, one, have no legal validity, two, constitute breaches under international law, namely the fourth geneva convention, and three, constitute a major obstacle to peace, gravely diminishing the viability of the two-state solution based on the fourth of june, 1967 borders, and the possibility of realizing it. we express our appreciation to all council members supporting this resolution. they have adopted this resolution on behalf of the international community, reflecting the long-standing global consensus on the matter. here, we must express our gratitude to the four cosponsors -- malaysia, new zealand, senegal, and venezuela. they have acted in line with their constant calls for action to address this unjust situation. firm in the responsibilities as councilmembers. we also thank angola -- among the nine non-caucus members for their undying support -- and we also thank our brothers in egypt, the arab representative on the council for all efforts , exerted throughout this process. let me all thank those who have applauded the adoption of resolution 2384 in this chamber, and the millions who have applauded in all corners of the globe, including, especially, in the state of palestine. over the years, we have made constant appeals to the council to uphold its duties, units central goals and the premise of international law, insisting on the need for conservative action to confront israeli oppression of the palestinian people and relentless colonization of our land under its half-century occupation. our appeals have sought to alleviate the suffering of our people, a defenseless population denied their rights, dignity and humanity. but, our appeals have also been calls for the council to contribute to the cause of peace for the long-term. peace for palestine. peace for israel, the middle east, and the rest of the world. we have not been alone in our appeals. they have been reflected by council members themselves, and by the state, international civil servants, and civil society that have come before the council, all imploring the council to act, including in specific to address the illegality of israeli settlement activities in occupied palestine, including east jerusalem, and the origin of the two state solution based on the 1967 borders, and the process for a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace. that the council has finally chosen to act is significant. let me repeat -- that the council has finally chosen to act is significant. after years of paralysis, the fact this resolution has been adopted with majority support -- overwhelming majority support. but this step requires vigilant follow-up if it is to be meaningful, to stem further deterioration in history's archives. urgent efforts are needed to reverse the dangerous negative trends on the ground, and to advance our collective efforts to end israeli occupation that began in 1967, and achieved freedom, rights, and justice for the palestinian people, including the palestinian refugees, leading to israeli-palestinian peace and security, as well as the goal of israeli peace. mr. president, there is no bashing, as repeatedly claimed by the israeli government. not by palestine, not by the council, nor by any who have time and again urged the council to act in the interest of peace and security. claims of bashing are beyond offensive, it shows that today's action may be too little too late. after years of following the law, to be trampled, and the situation to spiral downward today's resolution may rightly , be seen as a last attempt to preserve the two state solution and revive the path for peace, to keep the hope alive. for many, this seems virtually impossible at this point, as israel's occupying power has been permitted to entrench its occupation and a one state reality with absolute impunity, at times even being rewarded for its violations. against this backdrop, one council resolution in nearly eight years is not disproportionate. it is shameful, but today's vote rectifies this track record, and sets us on a new course. the facts are that the only bashing being done by israel. of this council, you heard what he said, and of the entire u.n. system, you heard also what he said, of the charter and international law. for five decades, despite the resolution, israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupied in 1967, and all the resolutions thereafter, israel has persisted full force with its occupation, it's illegal settlement and the war have fragmented our land, undermined our integrity and isolated jerusalem the heart and effect , of capital of our state -- de facto capital of our state. of which the international community has not recognized and continuous to reject. it has destroyed convictions in the rationality, feasibility, and fairness of the two state solution, as reflected in the growing negative sentiments among palestinians. whether those besieged and inhumanely blockaded for nearly a decade in the gaza strip. all those in during the colonization and daily terror in the west bank, including in jerusalem. and those in the refugee camps across the region, whose patience in awaiting justice and a peaceful solution is now so frail. the audacious claims of bias, we say the only biased taking place is that against the law, against reason, and against the vision of two states as the most viable solution to this prolonged illegal occupation and disastrous conflict. we have heard it loud and clear in the gleeful boast from some israeli officials that, and i quote "the two state solution is dead," and i quote, "there will be no palestinian state." we witness it in the attempting to prevent the law, to a coveted -- to accommodate the on lawful and the pretext used to colonize our land and deepen occupation. we witness it in israel's blatant contempt of the global demand to comply with its obligations under the law, as is expected of every single other state in the international community, and to finally commit to the path of peace. but today, this council has said enough, and we thank you for that. mr. president, this resolution represents a necessary step for addressing one of the most horrific aspects of the u.n. agenda -- a 70-year open wound, precluding peace in our region with far-reaching consequences, not the least of which is fueling the anger and despair that injustice breeds, especially among youth that see no president or future -- present and future, and undeniably fueling much of the radicalism and extremism plaguing our region and the world. the security council must stand firm by this decision, stand by the law, and stand by the right side of history. it should not be thought that by negative threats or spin. the council is doing the right thing. by adopting 2334. we hope this global call for settlement activities will serve to compel compliance with the law, deescalate sanctions, bring an end to the violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, and excitement, and -- and incitement, and reverse the negative trend on the ground. this is vital to salvaging the prospect of peace. led by responsible action by the council, including follow-up of the reports requested by the secretary-general under the resolution implementation, we hope the coming period will be one of serious effort to set the course for a credible horizon, and health partners advance toward peaceful solution. here, we recognize fully the arab states' efforts in the context of the arab peace initiative, which remains a cornerstone for peace, as well as the efforts of france, and the quartet -- egypt, and the russian federation -- and hope that these collective efforts, with international support, will come to fulfillment. we will remain firm in our belief that peace -- the central purpose of this organization, is more than worthy of both international legislation and action. we encourage intense efforts to achieve, without delay, an end to the israeli occupation that began in and a comprehensive, 1967. just, and lasting peace based on the relevant u.n. resolutions, including the principle of land for peace, arab peace initiative, and quartet roadmap, whereby the palestinian people will realize their rights and justice, including a just solution for the palestine refugees on the basis of resolution 194 and can finally live in freedom and dignity, exercising their in alienable right to serve in their sovereign state of palestine with east jerusalem as its capital living side by side with , israel in peace with secure and recognized borders. and happy holidays to all. i thank you very much, mr. president. >> thank you for your statement. before the meeting closes, i would like to express the sincere appreciation to the delegation of spain to the members of the council especially my colleagues, the , permanent representative, the respective staffs and teams, and also to the secretary of the council for all the support they have given us. it has been a very busy month, and it would not have been possible to have these results without the contribution of the delegations, the representatives of the secretariat, the interpreters, sound engineers, as well as security officers that kept the council safe day after day. as this could be the last public meeting of the security council for december, 2016, i would like on behalf of the council to express the sincere appreciation of the council to the five outgoing members -- angola, spain, following the spanish in alphabetical order, especially, malaysia, new zealand, and the republic of venezuela. i wish to commend their hard work and contributions during their term on the security council from 2015 to 2016. thank you very much. there are no further speakers on my list. the meeting is adjourned. >> several lawmakers have a >> this weekend, on american history tv on c-span3, this afternoon, just before 5:00 eastern, architectural historian barry lewis talks of the construction of the brooklyn thege, why manhattan needed bridge and why transportation in the city changed at the turn of the century. >> when the bridge opened, it did not put out of business, the fairies -- the ferries. reached of brooklyn had one million people. >> at 8:00, on lectures in history -- interesting thing about country music. it is the music of poor, white people. people privileged to be white but also people who are underprivileged. of their class identity and economic opportunities. >> dickerson college professor on the emerging definitions of whiteness and blackness in colonial america and how it impacted the origins of country music. reely afternoon at 4:00 on america -- >> the tangle of administrative problems created evidence that this crusade against society's greatest enemies they be slowed or may level off and fade. this was the climate that the unfinished tasks that faced lyndon johnson. president, -- the documents the final month of the year of president lyndon b. johnson, his meeting with the mexican president, awarding the medal of honor to a marine that fought in the vietnam war, and celebrating the holidays with his family at his texas ranch. and at 8:00, william hazel grove, author of "madam president." she buffered access to the president as he recovered from a massive stroke in 1919. for our complete american history tv schedule, 02 c-span.org. -- go to c-span.org. inthe new congress will meet january and will include several new members. we spoke with incoming members. >> representative elect jason lewis, representing the second district in minnesota. a republican. what did you do before? realelect lewis: i had a job. i was in broadcasting. i retired in august, 2014. i thought i would spend more time watching my girls swim. then the seat came open and i thought i could make a difference. >> what we're doing in broadcasting? rep.-elect lewis: talk radio, the leap it or not. -- believe it or not. it was good. we talked about the issues and interviewed a number of members over the years. it feels nice to come here and serve with them. >> what you think of that background being in conservative talkshow radio host? the minuseslewis: are you have 25 years of opposition research. everything you have ever said is out there. were, that everyone in the second district new me. that was very good. every candidate has pluses and minuses and it cuts both ways but it has served me well. >> why is it that you decided to run and when? rep.-elect lewis: you want to step up to the plate at some point and make a difference. this is a lock -- this is a lot make a80 you can really difference. i watched the reagan revolution from afar and him fortunate to be part of a new one. >> where did you grow up? rep.-elect lewis: in iowa but don't tell anyone in minnesota that. chance to come back to minnesota and go into talk radio there, i jumped at the chance. >> tell us about your family. rep.-elect lewis: i have a wife and two dollars, all swimmers. i remember the first time i went to a swim meet at 8:00 in the morning. 12 hours later i was still there. having a wife who swam makes it easy because she understands that you have to stay there for 12 hours. but it has been good for the kids and they love it. i did not know much about it. >> will your family be coming up to washington? rep.-elect lewis: we will keep our home in minnesota. we have a daughter in high school and an older daughter at st. cloud state. they will be out now and then. >> where we you live in washington? rep.-elect lewis: that is a good question. we will say. -- we will see. >> who has been a big influence on you? rep.-elect lewis: my father. as a kid, i remember getting up early and he would grab the newspaper and read the front page and i would read the sports section. now, i read the front page and my girls read the sports section. leading by example and his interest in the state. that was a big influence on me. >> what would he say about public service and what you're doing right now? rep.-elect lewis: i lost my father in 1989. i wish you were here. i think he would be pretty proud of the kid. >> what do you want to do while you are in washington? rep.-elect lewis: there are so many and that is why it is so exciting to be part of the republican conference this cycle. we have an opportunity to bring -- to move the needle. we have to the economy moving again. we have not moved up of 3% since 2007. the five porters during the reagan era, we work growing at 5%, 6%, or 7% growth. we have an economy that is still on life support. we have to jumpstart it. we need deregulation and tax reform. the minnesota being epicenter of the health-care crisis, we have to take a strong look at that. >> do you have any political heroes that represent what you are talking about? rep.-elect lewis: reagan is a big influence. this 24-year-old kid -- i remember one night in the sambar -- san fernando valley. i had a chance to go to our rally before the election. i ended up working on jack m's presidential campaign. he had the right temperament. the optimistic conservative. going back to reagan, you have to be tough. sometimes, you want to reach across the aisle but sometimes you have to hold your ground also. all i am trying to do is make sure we have a government that promotes freedom and prosperity. >> what was it about that reagan even that you will never forget? rep.-elect lewis: he looked at me. i was a kid that had gone out to california to work. valleyn the san fernando tonight before he was elected. i gave him a thumbs up and he gave me one back. i met him later in life. >> what was it about that? him looking at you? rep.-elect lewis: he was the first candidate in my adult political life that you felt stood for something. in politics, it is the old groucho marx line -- sincerity, if you can fake that, you have it made. people do not have to agree with you 100% of the time but they have to believe that you believe in what you believe 100%. best, thateve it is is good enough for a lot of voters and that is all you can do. do what you think is best. advice you gotten any from the political leaders out here in your party? rep.-elect lewis: sure. a lot of it. most of it confidential. >> why is that? rep.-elect lewis: we just had a seminar about what i would do different if i were a freshman member again. the old adage is true -- the freshman is better seen then not heard. >> why is that? rep.-elect lewis: the learning curve. you want to make sure you know what you are doing before you jump into the fray. that does not mean that you cannot be part of something really big. there will be a flurry of activity in the first 100 days. >> c-span will be there so representative elect, thank you for being here. on tuesday, january 3, for live coverage of the opening day of the new congress. watch the official swearing in of the members of the house and senate and the election of the speaker of the house. life coverage begins at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span and c-span.org. or you can listen to it for free on the c-span radio app. on c-span, washington journal is next. that is followed at 10:00 by a conversation with then and jerry's cofounder jerry greenfield. later, women entrepreneurs discuss innovation and diversity in silicon valley. on today's washington journal, npr correspondent tom chilton talks about his book "a nation of nations" which examines how the nation has changed following the integration act. later, robert jones on his ♪ morning.d it is saturday, december 20 4, 2016. christmas eve and the first day of konica which begins this evening. in the headlines, a vote yesterday by the un security council demanding israel stop expansion of jewish settlements in palestinian territory has caused a rift between the obama administration and president-elect donald trump. the united states abstained from the vote, a departure from tradition which has seen the united states beat so such resolutions. the abstention, which allows the measure to pass, was met with

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