14 Feb 2013

WASHINGTON DC / BAN KI-MOON – JOHN KERRY

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today wrapped up hisWashingtonDCtrip with a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry. US DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Posted at: February 14, 2013 4:54 pm

Duration: 03:00

Available in: SD

DOWNLOAD

Full script

STORY: WASHINGTON DC / BAN KI-MOON - JOHN KERRY
TRT: 3.00
SOURCE: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 14 FEBRUARY 2013, WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES

14 FEBRUARY 2013, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES

1. Wide shot, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry approach the podium
2. SOUNDBITE (English) John Kerry, Secretary of State, United States:
"I want to echo the Security Council's statement that this test is a clear threat to peace and security in the world.  In the days ahead, Mr. Secretary General, we're going to ramp up our coordination with the Six-Party partners, with the Security Council and other UN members, and other allies and partners in order to guarantee that we respond appropriately."
3. Cutaway, Ban and Kerry  
4. SOUNDBITE (English) John Kerry, Secretary of State, United States:
"As President Obama said very clearly on Tuesday, we have to keep the pressure up on the Assad regime and we have to support opposition leaders who respect the rights of the Syrian people."
5. Cutaway, Ban and Kerry  
6. SOUNDBITE (English) John Kerry, Secretary of State, United States:
"I want to reiterate that these talks can only make progress if the Iranians come to the table determined to make and discuss real offers and engage in a real dialogue.  It is important that we do that.  And I have said before and I will repeat again:  Countries that have peaceful programs do not have problems proving to people that they are peaceful."
7. Cutaway, Ban and Kerry  
8. SOUNDBITE (English) John Kerry, Secretary of State, United States:
"If we didn't have a United Nations, we'd have to invent one.  So we're grateful for the leadership that is exhibited by the Secretary General, and I am committed on behalf of President Obama to make certain that we strengthen our relationship with the UN even further in the years ahead."
9. Cutaway, Ban and Kerry  
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
"Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi and I are calling Security Council to be united and speak and act in one voice."
11. Cutaway, Ban and Kerry  
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
"I have repeatedly called on the leadership of Pyongyang to give up its pursuit of nuclear programs and to instead focus on building a better future for the country's people by addressing dire humanitarian and human rights situations."
13. Cutaway, Ban and Kerry
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
"The United Nations is striving to defeat poverty and advance sustainable development.  I have been very encouraged by President Obama's call to action on climate change both at his Inauguration and in the State of the Union Address. This is a global imperative. I also welcome President Obama's intention to pursue reductions in nuclear arsenals."

14 FEBRUARY 2013, WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES

15. Wide shot, Ban Ki-moon visits the Lincoln Memorial
16. Various shots, Ban Ki-moon visits Arlington cemetery

STORYLINE:

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today (14 February) in Washington DC while commenting on Syria's crisis, that the Joint UN-Arab League Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi and himself were "calling Security Council to be united and speak and act in one voice".

On the second and last day of his trip to Washington, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United States Secretary of State John Kerry met and held talks on a range of issues, including Syria, Mali and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the United Nations chief stressing the importance of United States leadership in tackling global challenges.

Briefing the media prior to their closed door talks and noting that this week's nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK) had been "enormously provocative", Kerry told reporters that he wanted to echo the Security Council's statement, "that this test is a clear threat to peace and security in the world".  He added that in the days ahead, "we're going to ramp up our coordination with the Six-Party partners, with the Security Council and other UN members, and other allies and partners in order to guarantee that we respond appropriately".

On the Syrian crisis, recalling President Obama's State of the Union statement on Tuesday (12 February), Kerry said "we have to keep the pressure up on the Assad regime and we have to support opposition leaders who respect the rights of the Syrian people".

Commenting on Iran's nuclear ambitions and noting that the talks between the P-5+1 and Iran would resume in Kazakhstan later in February, Kerry reiterate that those talks could only make progress "if the Iranians come to the table determined to make and discuss real offers and engage in a real dialogue".

He also repeated that "countries that have peaceful programs do not have problems proving to people that they are peaceful".

On ending his presentation Kerry thanked the Secretary General for his leadership and said that "If we didn't have a United Nations, we'd have to invent one".

Meanwhile Ban Ki-moon also commenting on this week's actions by the DPRK said that he had "repeatedly called on the leadership of Pyongyang to give up its pursuit of nuclear programs".

Finally while Ban said he had been "very encouraged" by President Obama's call to action on climate change both at his Inauguration and in the State of the Union Address, and he also welcomed President Obama's "intention to pursue reductions in nuclear arsenals".

Yesterday the United Nations chief took the opportunity to visit the Lincoln National Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery.