Washington: The United States would
continue to have disagreements with China but despite this,
both the countries would work together, Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.
"We have a very comprehensive relationship with China,
and it encompasses many different issues. We will continue to
have disagreements," Clinton told the Bloomberg news in an
interview.
"That's the way it is between any two countries,
particularly two with such complex global interests and
relationships as we have," she said.
On Iran, Clinton noted that China's position has
changed and it has started realising the threat that a
nuclear-armed Iran could pose.
"It is this region from which China derives most of
its oil. And it is very dependent for its energy on the
countries of the Gulf. If this region is destabilised, if the
anxieties that countries feel about Iran's intentions spill
over into some kind of conflict, if there's an arms race that
would be uncontrollable, that's not good for China.
"So I think that the broader view that is being
considered is one that is causing China to ask some
questions," Clinton said.
Clinton congrats Kosovo on its second independence
The US on Wednesday congratulated the
people of Kosovo on the second anniversary of their
declaration of independence from Serbia.
"This is an occasion to celebrate Kosovo’s development as
an open, unitary, and pluralistic republic and its commitment
to deliver on the promise of democracy for all of its people,"
US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said in a message.
The assembly of Kosovo, established by the United Nations
administration in Kosovo (UNIK), endorsed independence of the
disputed territory in the Balkans as the Republic of Kosovo on
February 17, 2008 and the declaration is recognised by 65 UN
member states.
"Kosovo's progress in these two years demonstrates its
dedication to responsible membership in the community of
nations and to stability in the Balkan region," Clinton said.
"The United States remains a steadfast partner of the
people and Government of Kosovo, committed to strengthening
Kosovo’s institutions and further developing a fully
functioning, democratic, and multiethnic state able to achieve
its Euro-Atlantic aspirations," she said.
US preparing sanctions targeted at RGI
The Obama Administration is
working with other countries to prepare sanctions that are
targeted at the Revolutionary Guard of Iran, US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton said today.
"We are working with the international community to
prepare sanctions that will be targeted at the Revolutionary
Guard.
"The reason for that is because they have assumed
greater and greater responsibility, not just in the security
sector and not just for the nuclear program, but in the
economic and political arenas as well," Clinton told the
Bloomberg News in an interview.
"It is important for countries that are still
evaluating what to do about Iran, who still may have in their
mind that it’s a democracy, but for a flawed election, and
that the human rights abuses which are going on against
peaceful demonstrations are a passing phenomenon, that we see
the ground shifting," she said.
Increasingly, the Revolutionary Guard seems to be
filling the space that should be held under the Iranian system
by either the clerical or the political leadership, Clinton
said.
"Despite the President’s best efforts and US'
willingness to engage and our desire to come up with ways of
handling the nuclear program with our Tehran research reactor
proposal and so much else, has, as you know, not been
reciprocated," she said.
Pakistani now recognises that extremism poses direct threat
US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton today said Pakistan now realizes that violent
extremism now pose a direct threat to the country.
"I think the Pakistanis recognize that the violent
extremists inside of Pakistan now pose a direct threat to
their state," Clinton told the BBC in an interview.
"We have seen the indiscriminate killings that have
been conducted over the last several months. I mean, horrific
bombings that have been just hard to even believe, bombing
religious processions and mosques, and people playing volley
ball and women and children in markets," Clinton said.
"I mean there is no explanation, other than just
cruelty and violence for the sake of violence, and the
intimidation that could lead, in the eyes of the extremists,
to some kind of secession of territory," she said.
"But I think the Pakistanis, across the board in their
leadership, recognise that standing firm against this threat
is important to their future," she noted.
Clinton, however, refused to make any comment on the
arrest of the top Taliban leader by Pak and US intelligence
agencies in Karachi.
"I can express our appreciation for the increasing
cooperation between the United States and Pakistan. It is
something that I personally believe is in the best interest of
both of our countries. And the efforts to combat our common
enemy is one that requires this level of partnership," she
said.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 18, 2010, 00:08