Remarks with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington, DC
September 27, 2006

(3:15 p.m. EDT)

SECRETARY RICE: I would like to welcome Foreign Minister Bokoyannis, Dora, to Washington. We had a chance to see each other in New York, at several meetings I believe, but this time we will have a chance to continue our discussions about the broad agenda but also about U.S.-Greek relations. And I just want to thank you for coming.

FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYANNIS: Thank you very much. It's a pleasure.

SECRETARY RICE: All right.

QUESTION: In your work on the Security Council, does Greece support sanctions against Iran?

FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYANNIS: Well, we must get the facts. We are waiting to see how the negotiations are going, and when we have the result then we come back and have our discussions about that.

SECRETARY RICE: I should mention, by the way, that Greece is doing a fine job as president of the Security Council and organized a really very fine meeting on the Middle East. And so thank you for that leadership.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, do you have any details about your phone conversations with Javier Solana today and are you optimistic these talks might make a breakthrough on suspension?

SECRETARY RICE: I did have an opportunity to talk with EU High Commissioner Solana this morning prior to the beginnings of his discussions, which I assume are underway although I've not heard. Obviously, if we can come out of this with an Iranian decision to suspend its enrichment and reprocessing activities completely and verifiably, then we would be on a course to negotiations and that's the course that we would all like to pursue. But of course the logic of Resolution 1696 is that the Security Council has also set up a route, a pathway toward action under Article 41, Chapter 7. But I did wish Javier Solana well and we are all awaiting the outcome of his discussions.

2006/877

Released on September 27, 2006

ENDS