Photo: AP
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
July 27, 2015
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRIME MINISTER HAILEMARIAM DESALEGN OF ETHIOPIA IN JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE
National Palace
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
1:47 P.M. EAT
PRIME MINISTER HAILEMARIAM: Members of the press, ladies and
gentlemen, I would like to once again welcome His Excellency, the
President of the United States of America, to Ethiopia. We are honored
to receive a sitting U.S. President for the first time in the history of
our century-long diplomatic relations. But again, we believe it’s
fitting and appropriate in the light of the fact that Ethiopia is the
Cradle of Mankind, the beacon light for African independence, and an
inspiration for all the black people’s struggles, and the political
capital of Africa.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee — (laughter) — and with so many
firsts to its name, and as such a first and historic visit by the first
U.S. President of African origin, I believe it’s a well-deserved one.
His visit comes at a time when both Africa and Ethiopia are registering
impressive growth, making important strides. For Ethiopia, the economy
has registered double-digit growth for the last 12 years,
uninterruptedly.
His visit also comes at a time when we’re working hard in improving
governance and fighting insecurity, conflicts and terrorism. His visit
could not have come at a better time, as the leader of the most powerful
nation on Earth, diplomatically, economically, and more importantly, in
science and technology and education — the very things Africa and
Ethiopia need in abundance if they are to sustain their growth.
President Obama’s visit represents a new height in our bilateral
relations.
This morning, we have had extensive bilateral discussions with
President Obama on a range of topics. We have discussed ways of further
deepening our bilateral relations and our cooperation on a number of
issues. Among the areas we have discussed, we talked at length about
the U.S. support in helping expand trade and investment in Ethiopia.
As you know, the U.S. is Ethiopia’s strategic partner in many fields.
And the steady of flow of quality investment from the United States,
as much as we crave it, though the recent beginning is so encouraging,
has often been in short supply. We have discussed, among other things,
how to encourage U.S. investors to come to Ethiopia in large numbers,
where there are numerous competitive and comparative advantages they can
benefit from.
We have discussed how best we can take advantage of President Obama’s
signature Power Africa initiative, which is, in our case, has already
seen significant progress made with 1,000 megawatts geothermal contract
to be signed this afternoon.
We have also discussed ways of scaling up the successful projects
that President Obama launched four years ago in his flagship Alliance
for Food Security program, and launching of similar initiatives.
We have also discussed and reached an understanding on coordinating
our efforts in the global effort to fight climate change, and to work
together for the success of the COP 21 negotiations in Paris. Likewise,
we have exchanged ideas on ways the U.S. can champion the Addis Ababa
action agenda during the negotiations of the sustainable development
goals in New York next September. We have also agreed to work on global
health epidemics.
We have raised a number of issues on how the U.S. can support the
strengthening of Ethiopia’s democratization process. My government has
expressed its commitment to deepen the democratic process already
underway in the country, and work towards the respect of human rights
and improving governance.
We have reiterated once again that our commitment to democracy is
real, not skin-deep. We have both noted that we need to step up efforts
to strengthen our institutions and build our capacity in various areas.
We believe that U.S. support in this regard as age-old democracy will
contribute to ensuring that our system becomes robust. We have agreed
to continue our engagement despite minor differences here and there with
regard mainly to the speed with which our democratization process is
moving.
Finally, we have discussed a range of issues related to cooperation
on security and peace-building in the region and on the pivotal role the
U.S. can and does play. We have agreed to work closely on South Sudan
to bring lasting peace to the conflict-ridden country. We have both
agreed to work together in building peace in Somalia by helping create
stable institutions and by strengthening the Somali security forces in
their quest to be in charge of the peace of their own country.
We have agreed to intensify the campaign against terrorism in the
region, and we both noted with satisfaction the progress AMISOM forces
and Somali National Army are making, with the support of the U.S. and
other partners, in their fight against al-Shabaab.
We have agreed to deepen our intelligence cooperation both
bilaterally as well as regionally. We have both noted and underscored
that this cooperation is essential to curb the menace posed by
terrorism. The terrorist attack that was launched in Mogadishu
yesterday is a stark reminder that we need to work even more in this
respect.
In conclusion, we have agreed to continue working together for better results in all aspects of our cooperation.
Mr. President, I now call upon you to give your remarks.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. Good
afternoon. Dehna walach-hu. Prime Minister Hailemariam, we appreciate
your kind words and for the welcome that you’ve extended to our
delegation.
We’ve had very productive meetings here today. And after our
bilateral, I had a chance to see the famous lions that live on the
grounds. I’m considering getting some for the White House. (Laughter.)
Although I’ll have to make sure that my dogs are safe. (Laughter.)
To the people of Ethiopia, thank you for the warmth and enthusiasm of
your welcome and the spirit of friendship that you’ve shown me since
I’ve been in Addis. I am proud to be the first U.S. President to visit
Ethiopia, and, tomorrow, the first U.S. President to address the African
Union. So my visit reflects the importance the United States places on
our relationship with Ethiopia and all the nations and peoples of
Africa.
As you noted, Ethiopia and the United States share a long friendship.
Our people have worked together, traded with each other, and stood
alongside one another for more than 100 years. The United States is
strengthened by the contributions of Ethiopian Americans every day — and
that’s particularly true in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.,
which has the largest Ethiopian community outside of Ethiopia — or at
least outside of Africa.
And we welcome Ethiopian students to study in the United States.
Through our Young African Leaders Initiative, we’re helping to empower
dynamic young Ethiopians with the tools that they need to make a
difference in their communities. Ethiopia also hosts one of the largest
Peace Corps programs in the world and has welcomed thousands of young
Americans over the years.
So the connections between our peoples are both deep and enduring.
And today, the Prime Minister and I spoke about how we can strengthen
the cooperation between our nations.
First, we’re going to continue working together to advance Ethiopia’s
economic progress. Ethiopia has one of the fastest-growing economies
in the world and one of the largest economies in Africa.
And we want to
sustain that momentum, because a growing and inclusive economy in
Ethiopia means more opportunities for the Ethiopian people and more
trade and investment between our nations, which, in turn, helps to
create American jobs.
With the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, we’ll
work to further open American markets to Ethiopian products and help
expand private sector investment in Ethiopia. Through our Power Africa
initiative, we’re working to unlock Ethiopia’s potential for geothermal
energy with the nation’s first private sector energy agreement. And
this will help the government meet its ambitious goal of significantly
increasing access to electricity across Ethiopia and help open the
market to developing Ethiopia’s other vast renewable energy sources.
Second, we’re stepping up our cooperation on development, where
Ethiopia has proven itself a global leader. To many people around the
world, their image of Ethiopia remains stuck in the past — remembering
drought and famine. But in the past 15 years, Ethiopia has lifted
millions of people out of poverty. We’re working closely together to
improve food security, to help farmers plant drought-resistant and
higher-yield crops. We’re building resilience to climate change. Fewer
people are suffering needlessly from preventable diseases like malaria.
More children are getting an education.
Of course, there are still
too many people, particularly in the rural areas, living in deprivation,
so we have to keep moving on the progress that’s been made. Prime Minister Hailemariam has demonstrated his commitment to
eliminating extreme poverty.
Ethiopia recently hosted the International
Conference on Financing for Development, which secured a global
consensus about how the nations of the world will deliver on our
promises, especially to those most in need. Your Prime Minister played a
vital role in forging that consensus, and Ethiopia is now helping to
shape a new set of sustainable development goals for the world.
Third, our security cooperation is pushing back against violent
extremism. Ethiopia faces serious threats, and its contribution to the
African Union mission in Somalia have reduced areas under al-Shabaab
control. But, as the Prime Minister noted, yesterday’s bombing in
Mogadishu reminds us that terrorist groups like al-Shabaab offer nothing
but death and destruction and have to be stopped. We’ve got more work
to do.
This past week, Ethiopian troops have helped retake two major al-Shabaab strongholds. We have to now keep the pressure on.
Ethiopia is a major contributor, as well, to U.N. peacekeeping
efforts; it contributes more troops than any other country in Africa.
And we’re working together to improve the ability of Ethiopian
peacekeepers to respond rapidly to emerging crises, before they spiral
into widespread violence.
Ethiopia has also been a key partner as we seek to resolve the
ongoing crisis in South Sudan. Later today, the Prime Minister and I
will meet with leaders from across the region to discuss ways we can
encourage the government and opposition in South Sudan to end the
violence and move toward a peace agreement. I want to thank Ethiopia
for the sanctuary it provides hundreds of thousands of refugees who have
fled South Sudan and conflicts throughout the region.
And finally, I would note that everything I’ve mentioned –sustained
and inclusive growth, development, security gains –also depends on good
governance. We had a frank discussion. In a global economy that’s
increasingly driven by technology and the Internet, continued growth in
Ethiopia depends on the free flow of information and open exchanges of
ideas. I believe that when all voices are being heard, when people know
that they’re included in the political process, that makes a country
stronger and more successful and more innovative. So we discussed steps
that Ethiopia can take to show progress on promoting good governance,
protecting human rights, fundamental freedoms, and strengthening
democracy. And this is an area where we intend to deepen our
conversations and consultation, because we strongly believe in
Ethiopia’s promise and its people.
Ethiopia is a strong partner with the United States and a leader on
so many vital issues in the region. And it has the opportunity now to
extend its leadership in ways that benefit all of Ethiopia’s people and
that sets a positive example for the region. It’s hard work, but my
message today to the people of Ethiopia is that, as you take steps
moving your country forward, the United States will be standing by you
the entire way.
So, Prime Minister, thank you for your hospitality and for the
important work that our nations do together. Ameseginalehu. (Applause.)
Q Thank you very much, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister. Mr.
President, you mentioned earlier that combatting terrorism is one of the
areas in which Ethiopia and the U.S. are partnering. However,
organizations based in the U.S. and Eritrea are (inaudible) in
Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism efforts. How will your government assist
Ethiopia in this regard?
And secondly, in regards to trade and investment cooperation, how
committed is your government to transform the aid-based Ethiopia-U.S.
relations to a mutually beneficial trade and investment cooperation?
Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, on the first issue, this was part of our
conversation both with respect to security, but also with respect to
good governance and human rights issues. Our policy is that we oppose
terrorism wherever it may occur. And we are opposed to any group that
is promoting the violent overthrow of a government, including the
government of Ethiopia, that has been democratically elected.
I also shared with the Prime Minister our interest in deepening
intelligence cooperation. And we’ve had some fruitful discussions about
ending the flow of foreign financing for terrorism. Our cooperation
regionally is excellent. I know that there are certain groups that have
been active in Ethiopia that, from the Ethiopian government’s
perspective, pose a significant threat. Our intelligence indicates that
while they may oppose the government, they have not tipped into
terrorism. And we have some very clear standards in terms of how we
evaluate that.
But what I indicated to the Prime Minister is, is that in our
consultations and deepening intelligence cooperation, we will look and
see what evidence we have, where there are real problems, and where we
see genuine terrorist activity. That’s something that we are going to
want to cooperate with and stop.
So a lot of this has to do with how we define a particular group’s
activities. If they are just talking about issues and are in opposition
and are operating as political organizations, we tend to be protective
of them even if we don’t agree with them. That’s true in the United
States; that’s true everywhere. And we think that’s part of what’s
necessary for a democracy. If they tip into activities that are violent
and are undermining a properly constituted government, then we have a
concern.
And so this will be a matter of facts — what are the facts with
respect to this issue — in determining how we can work together.
On shifting development models, part of what I’ve been preaching ever
since I came into office, and what we’ve been putting into practice as I
travel across the continent of Africa, but this is also true in Latin
America, it’s true in Asia — in this modern world, it is not enough just
to provide aid.
Sometimes aid is critical. I mean, we’re very proud
of the work that we’ve done to provide health aid that has saved
millions of lives with respect to HIV/AIDS. We are very proud of our
ability to mobilize humanitarian assistance when there’s a drought and
the potential for starvation. Those are still necessary. But what we
also believe is that we are your best partners and your best friends
when we are building capacity.
So instead of just giving a fish, we teach you how to fish. And
whether it’s the work we’re doing in agriculture, or on energy, our goal
is not to simply provide something and then we go away, and then later
on, we need to give you something more. Our goal is to help you advance
your development agenda so that it’s Ethiopian businesses and Ethiopian
technical experts, and Ethiopian scientists, and Ethiopian agricultural
workers who are continually building capacity and increasing
development inside the country.
And on that, we can be a very effective partner. And that, then,
allows us also to trade and engage the private sector in this process.
So, on Power Africa, for example, we are providing billions of
dollars from the U.S. government, and we’re leveraging the Swedish
government and World Bank to create a fund that helps to facilitate
transactions. But what we’re also doing is working with the Ethiopian
government to leverage that money so that the private sector says, we’d
like to invest in Ethiopia, as well, and helping advise the Ethiopian
Energy Ministry and technical experts on what may be the best models for
reaching rural areas, for example — which may not always involve big
power plants but might involve off-grid, smaller models of development
that are sustainable and are not dependent on constant financial flows
from the West, but instead build up local capacity and are best suited
for the particular environment where electricity is needed.
So that, I think, is going to be true in health, energy, agriculture.
The more that Ethiopians are able to grow rapidly on their own, then
our relationship becomes one of mutual interest, mutual respect. And
Ethiopia then becomes a leader, and it can then help other countries
that are not as advanced on the development scales. And then we can
partner with you to help Somalia as it’s rebuilding after decades of
failed governance.
MR. EARNEST: Our next question will come from Kevin Corke with Fox News.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I’d like to ask you about balance.
And you often speak about the importance of rewarding good governance,
and so I’m wondering how do you balance your obvious concerns about
human rights here in Ethiopia with a desire for increased economic
partnership and strengthening regional security cooperation? And if I
could follow up — have you ruled out, or would you consider increased
military involvement by the United States in East Africa to battle
al-Shabaab? And if so, what lessons could be learned from the battle
against ISIS, for example, that might be relevant here?
And, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your great hospitality in your
beautiful country. I’d like to ask you about perception. For all the
incredible things that are happening here in Ethiopia — a strengthening
economy, great investment right now in renewable energy infrastructure —
there is still a perception, sir, that human rights abuses are
tolerated here, and that could really be affecting international
investment in your economy. Are you concerned about that? If so, how
can concerned, and what might you be doing, sir, to change that
perception? Thank you.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, as I said in my opening remarks, this was a
significant topic of conversation. We are very mindful of Ethiopia’s
history — the hardships that this country has gone through. It has been
relatively recently in which the constitution that was formed and the
elections put forward a democratically elected government. And as I
indicated when I was in Kenya, there is still more work to do, and I
think the Prime Minister is the first to acknowledge that there’s more
work to do.
The way we think about these issues is we want to engage with
governments on areas of mutual concern and interest — the same way, by
the way, that we deal with China and deal with a range of other
countries where the democratic practices or issues around freedom of the
press and assembly are not ones that align with how we are thinking
about it, but we continually bring it up and we indicate that this is
part of our core interest and concern in our foreign policy. That’s
true here as well.
My observation to the Prime Minister has been that the governing
party has significant breadth and popularity. And as a consequence,
making sure to open additional space for journalists, for media, for
opposition voices, will strengthen rather than inhibit the agenda that
the Prime Minister and the ruling party has put forward.
And I think our goal here is to make sure that we are a constructive
partner, recognizing that Ethiopia has its own culture and it’s not
going to be identical to what we do, but there are certain principles
that we think have to be upheld.
The one thing that I’ve tried to be consistent on, though, is to make
sure that we don’t operate with big countries in one fashion and small
countries in another. Nobody questions our need to engage with large
countries where we may have differences on these issues. That’s true
with Africa as well.
We don’t improve cooperation and advance the very
interest that you talk about by staying away. So we have to be in a
conversation. And I think the Prime Minister will indicate that I don’t
bite my tongue too much when it comes to these issues, but I do so from
a position of respect and regard for the Ethiopian people, and
recognizing their history and the challenges that they continue to face.
With respect to our military assistance, keep in mind that we have
been active in the fight against al-Shabaab for a long time now. And
we’ve been partnering with Ethiopia and Kenya and Uganda and the African
Union and AMISOM. And that’s something that I think those other
countries would agree has been a very effective partnership. Part of
the reason that we’ve seen the shrinkage of al-Shabaab’s activities in
East Africa is because we have our military teams in consultation with
regional forces and local forces, and there are certain capacities that
we have that some of these militaries may not, and I think there’s been
complementarity in the work that we’ve done together.
So we don’t need to send our own Marines, for example, in to do the
fighting. The Ethiopians are tough fighters. And the Kenyans and
Ugandans have been serious about putting troops on the ground, at
significant sacrifice, because they recognize the importance of
stabilizing the region.
That’s why, in the past, I’ve said, for example, that the work that
we’re doing in Somalia is a model. Some in the press have noted that
al-Shabaab is still here, and they say, well, how can that be a model if
you still have bombs going off? The point that I was making at that
time is not that defeating any of these terrorist networks is easy, or
that the problems in Somalia are completely solved. The point I was
making was that a model in which we are partnering with other countries
and they are providing outstanding troops on the ground — we’re working
with, in this case, the Somali government, which is still very much in
its infancy, to develop its national security capacity
– so that we’re doing things that we can do uniquely but does not
require us putting boots on the ground — that’s the model that we’re
talking about.
And Ethiopia is an outstanding partner in that process. They have
one of the most effective militaries on the continent. And as I noted
in my earlier remarks, they are also one of the biggest contributors to
peacekeeping. And so they’re averting a lot of bloodshed and a lot of
conflict because of the effectiveness of their military, and we want to
make sure that we’re supporting that.
PRIME MINISTER HAILEMARIAM: We fully understand that the perception
and the reality does not, in many cases, match as far as Ethiopia is
concerned. Therefore, we want to work on this issue; it’s our concern.
But something has to be understood that this is a fledgling democracy,
and we are coming out of centuries of undemocratic practices and culture
in this country. And it’s not easy within a few decades — in our case,
only two decades of democratization — that we can get rid of all this
attitudinal problems, and some challenge we face. But we feel that we
are on the right track, and there is a constitutional democracy which we
all are obliged to observe for the sake of our own people and
prosperity.
So I think this is a way that we have to work on. That’s why I said
in my speech that we have to learn the best practices of the United
States and age-old democracies, because this is a process of learning
and doing, and I think we fully understand that. And, of course, we
also know our limitations and we have to work on our limitations to make
ultimately to the betterment of our own people. So I think that is a
concern that we have to work on.
Q My question for you, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is,
what do you expect from the United States and the rest of the
international community in terms of supporting the peace and security
efforts in the Horn of Africa, as well as how successful was your
bilateral discussion with President Obama, specifically in regards to
economic ties?
And, President Obama, my question for you is, what are your thoughts
specifically on the IGAD Plus peacekeeping efforts in South Sudan?
PRIME MINISTER HAILEMARIAM: As far as the economic cooperation is
concerned, I mentioned that Ethiopia is one of the vibrant economies,
which is rising. And we need — you know, we don’t want to put all our
eggs in one basket. We need a comprehensive quality investment from
every corner of the globe. And specifically, at this time, we agreed
that the President is going to support us, his government is going to
support us in bringing quality investment to Ethiopia.
We have longstanding relations, diplomatic relations, but the
investment flow doesn’t match that long history of cooperation between
Ethiopia and the United States. So I think there is room. Recently, we
have a number of renowned companies from the United States showing up
to invest in my country. But we also understand that we have to improve
our investment climate and environment where there are stifling issues
here and there, bureaucratic bottlenecks, that has to be addressed. And
we are on stop of them and we can address them. I think by doing so,
we can attract more foreign direct investment from the United States.
As far as the security cooperation in concerned, I think we believe
that Africans should take our own responsibility by our own hand. We
need support from the United States, but it doesn’t meant that the
United States is going to replace us in picking our own agenda in
Africa.
That’s why Ethiopia is contributing peacekeeping force — a number
which the President has mentioned. And we’re also working on increasing
the capability of our troops in peacekeeping. But the most important
thing is we have to engage the people of Africa and their respective
countries to make peace and the governance system that helps the people
to engage.
So I think we are on the right track. And we can make changes in
Somalia and, I am hopeful, also in South Sudan. And I think in many
cases, this shouldn’t mar the picture of Africa where, in large, Africa
is now rising, and Africa is showing — becoming the next growing tide
for economic development and cooperation. So I think we are on the
right track in this cooperation.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: IGAD has been a vital partner to the international
community in leading discussions between Mr. Kiir, Mr. Machar, the
government opposition figures in South Sudan. Unfortunately, the
situation continues to deteriorate. That’s not because IGAD has not
tried hard enough. I know that between Prime Minister Hailemariam and
other partners in IGAD, there has been a lot of time and a lot of effort
to push the parties together.
Nevertheless, the situation is deteriorating. The humanitarian
situation is worsening. The possibilities of renewed conflict in a
region that has been torn by conflict for so long and has resulted in so
many deaths is something that requires urgent attention from all of us,
including the international community.
That’s why, after this press conference, we’ll be consulting with
leaders from the other countries who have been involved in IGAD to see
how the United States, IGAD, and the international community can work to
bring a peace agreement and a structure to fruition sometime in the
next several weeks.
We don’t have a lot of time to wait. The
conditions on the ground are getting much, much worse. And part of my
interest in calling together this meeting was to find out how we can
help.
Up until this point, it’s been very useful to have the African
countries take the lead. As Prime Minister Hailemariam stated, the more
that Africans are solving African problems, the better off we’re going
to be. But we also think that we can be a mechanism for additional
leverage on the parties, who, up until this point, have proven very
stubborn and have not yet risen to the point where they are looking out
for the interests of their nation as opposed to their particular
self-interests. And that transition has to take place, and it has to
take place now.
MR. EARNEST: The final question will come from Darlene Superville with the Associated Press.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to follow up on the Sudan
question. As you go into this meeting that you just mentioned, are you
expecting any breakthroughs that will get both sides to agree to a peace
deal by the August 17th deadline? And if there is no agreement, what
further steps would you be willing to take to bring that about?
And if I could ask about Iran. Would you kindly bring us up to date
on the administration’s lobbying of Congress to get approval for the
deal? And would you include your reaction to Republican presidential
candidate Mike Huckabee saying that the deal is the equivalent of
marching the Israelis toward “the door of the oven”?
Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your hospitality. Would you also
add your thoughts on the situation in Sudan and how to bring peace over
there? The second question I have for you is, the Committee to Protect
Journalists ranks your country as the second-worst jailer of journalists
in Africa. Just before President Obama arrived here, some journalists
were released. Many more are still being detained. Would you explain
what issues or objections you have to a free press? Thank you.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: On South Sudan, the goal here is to make sure that
the United States and IGAD are aligned on a strategy going into this
endgame on peace talks. So my hope is that, as a result of these
consultations, that we agree on how urgent it is and what each of us
have to do to actually bring a deal about.
I don’t want to prejudge what I’ll hear from the President of Uganda,
for example, until I actually hear from him. But the good news is that
all of us recognize that something has got to move, because IGAD has
now been involved with consultations with these individuals for a very,
very long time, and our special envoys that have been involved in this
for years now have concluded that now is the time for a breakthrough.
And if we don’t see a breakthrough by August 17th, then we’re going to
have to consider what other tools we have to apply greater pressure on
the parties.
And that’s something I think the parties will certainly hear from us.
Our hope is that the message we deliver is similar to the message that
they get from the IGAD countries and others who are interested in the
issue.
With respect to Iran, I won’t give a grade to our lobbying efforts.
In fact, I’m not even sure I’d characterize it as lobbying. What we’re
doing is presenting facts about an international agreement that 99
percent of the world thinks solves a vital problem in a way that will
prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and does so diplomatically.
And essentially what we’ve been seeing is Secretary of State John
Kerry, Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz — who is an expert on nuclear
issues — just providing the facts, laying out exactly what the deal is,
explaining how it cuts off all the pathways for Iran to get a nuclear
weapon; explaining how it puts in place unprecedented verification and
inspection mechanisms; explaining how we have snapback provisions so
that if they cheat, we immediately re-impose sanctions; explaining also
how we will continue to address other aspects of Iranian behavior that
are of deep concern to us and our allies — like providing arms to
terrorist organizations.
So the good news, I guess, is that I have not yet heard a factual
argument on the other side that holds up to scrutiny. There’s a reason
why 99 percent of the world thinks that this is a good deal — it’s
because it’s a good deal. There’s a reason why the overwhelming
majority of nuclear scientists and nonproliferation experts think it’s a
good deal — it’s because it’s a good deal. It accomplishes our goal,
which is making sure Iran does not have a nuclear weapon. In fact, it
accomplishes that goal better than any alternative that has been
suggested.
And you’ve heard me, Darlene, stand up in front of the press corps
and try to get a good argument on the other side that’s based in fact as
opposed to rhetoric. And I haven’t gotten one yet. So if you’re
asking me, how do you think our argument is going, it’s going great.
Now, if you’re asking me about the politics of Washington and the
rhetoric that takes place there, that doesn’t always go great.
The particular comments of Mr. Huckabee are, I think, part of just a
general pattern that we’ve seen that is — would be considered ridiculous
if it weren’t so sad. We’ve had a sitting senator call John Kerry
Pontius Pilate. We’ve had a sitting senator who also happens to be
running for President suggest that I’m the leading state sponsor of
terrorism. These are leaders in the Republican Party. And part of what
historically has made America great is, particularly when it comes to
foreign policy, there’s been a recognition that these issues are too
serious, that issues of war and peace are of such grave concern and
consequence that we don’t play fast and loose that way. We have robust
debates, we look at the facts, there are going to be disagreements. But
we just don’t fling out ad hominem attacks like that, because it
doesn’t help inform the American people.
I mean, this is a deal that has been endorsed by people like Brent
Scowcroft and Sam Nunn — right? — historic Democratic and Republican
leaders on arms control and on keeping America safe. And so when you
get rhetoric like this, maybe it gets attention and maybe this is just
an effort to push Mr. Trump out of the headlines, but it’s not the kind
of leadership that is needed for America right now. And I don’t think
that’s what anybody — Democratic, Republican, or independent — is
looking for out of their political leaders.
In fact, it’s been interesting when you look at what’s happened with
Mr. Trump, when he’s made some of the remarks that, for example,
challenged the heroism of Mr. McCain, somebody who endured torture and
conducted himself with exemplary patriotism, the Republican Party is
shocked.
And yet, that arises out of a culture where those kinds of
outrageous attacks have become far too commonplace and get circulated
nonstop through the Internet and talk radio and news outlets. And I
recognize when outrageous statements like that are made about me, that a
lot of the same people who were outraged when they were made about Mr.
McCain were pretty quiet.
The point is we’re creating a culture that is not conducive to good
policy or good politics. The American people deserve better.
Certainly, presidential debates deserve better. In 18 months, I’m
turning over the keys — I want to make sure I’m turning over the keys to
somebody who is serious about the serious problems the country faces
and the world faces. And that requires on both sides, Democrat and
Republican, a sense of seriousness and decorum and honesty. And I think
that’s what the voters expect, as well.
PRIME MINISTER HAILEMARIAM: As regards to South Sudan, I cannot
agree more with the
President. But we should also recognize that this
process has taken a long, long negotiation period. And, on the other
hand, people are suffering on the ground, and we cannot let this go
unchecked. And I think the meeting which we are making this afternoon
has a strong signal and message that has to be passed to the parties in
South Sudan to see that that they’re (inaudible) first.
So I think this is very much essential. And I fully recognize what the President has said, and we’ll see how it happens.
As far as Ethiopia is concerned, we need journalists. We need more
of them and quality of them, because we have not only bad stories to be
told, but we have many success stories that has to be told. And so we
need you. This is very important. But we need ethical journalism to
function in this country.
And there is limitation capacity in all aspects of our works, there
is also capacity limitations in journalism and that way. Maybe those of
you who are in developed nations, you can help our journalists —
domestic journalists — to increase their capacity to work on ethical
manner. But the only thing as a leader of this nation we do not want to
see is journalism has to be respected when it doesn’t pass the line;
that working with violent terrorist groups is not allowed — even in the
United States. And we need civilized journalism as a culture and as a
profession.
So I think my government is committed to this issue, that we need
many young journalists to come up and help this country to understand
what’s going on. And for us, it’s very important to be criticized
because we also get feedback to correct our mistakes and limitations.
So we need journalists. And I think this is our view. And rest assured
that we’ll continue to do so, because the media is one of the
institutions that has to be nurtured for democratic discourse. And so
that’s why we agree that institutional capacity-building in all aspects
of democracy in this country is essential.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much.
END
2:36 P.M. EAT
