 Secretary
of State Powell Commends Saudi Arabia's Efforts to Stabilize Oil Market
[The following is an excerpt taken from Secretary
Powell's remarks with Mr. Ron Insana of CNBC.]
October 27, 2004
Mr. Ron Insana: The energy markets clearly have been a central
concern here in the United States. Is there anything that the State Department
can do to shore up whatever alliances we have with non-Middle Eastern
producers, whether it's Russia, whether to even extend it in China, Nigeria,
many of these countries that have ample supplies of oil, to ensure a stable
supply is here and ultimately to help bring down the price?
Secretary of State Colin Powell: We're in touch with all of those
nations that are oil producers, and we do everything we can to keep the
relationships stable but there has been such a demand for oil throughout the
world, and especially in places like China, which has gone from being a fairly
undeveloped country to a rapidly developing country with a huge requirement
for energy.
So it's a constrained situation and there is a bit of uncertainty in the
market. But in my case, for example, as Secretary of State, I have been in
touch with the Saudis over the months to encourage them to do as much as they
could to keep the supplies up and to increase their production, and I do the
same in my conversations with Nigerian leaders and others.
Mr. Ron Insana: Have you gotten any indications from the Saudis that
they can in some way meaningfully improve their capacity to extract or
ultimately to export it as well?
Secretary of State Colin Powell: I don't get into that level of
detail because it really is something for the Secretary of Energy Spencer
Abraham to deal with, you know, how much more can actually be extracted. But
as a result of conversations I had with the Saudi leadership earlier in the
year, they have done quite a bit to increase their output.
It's going to take a lot of investment and one has to be careful about how
much more you try to extract without creating damage to the fields themselves.
And it takes time to bring additional capacity online, and I think the Saudis
are examining all of that with the Secretary of Energy.
Click
here to read a complete transcript of Secretary Powell's remarks.
Source: U.S.
Department of State
 Deputy
Secretary of State Armitage Comments on U.S.-Saudi Relations
[The following is an excerpt taken from
Deputy Secretary Armitage's remarks with Mr. Saad Mohammad of the Kuwait News
Agency.]
October 25, 2004
Mr. Saad Mohammad:
Saudi Arabia. Is the United States pleased with the action the government is
taking in terms of reforms, openness, cooperating in terms of (inaudible)?
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage:
No, as you just saw my Secretary acknowledge that the first elections are
going to be held in Saudi Arabia, then had some pretty strong comments about
the fact that women should be allowed to vote as well.
We went through a rough time with the Saudis,
then they went through a rough time because of terrorism and many lives were
lost. Through those bombings, we've seen the Saudi Government not only wake
up, but extend tremendous efforts to rip out terrorism, root and branch, from
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are very pleased with that counterterrorism
partnership, very pleased.
Mr. Saad Mohammad:
And do you think they do enough?
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage:
In the counterterrorism arena, I think all of us have to do more. But I must
say, they --
Mr. Saad Mohammad:
And in terms of openness, as well?
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage:
In what?
Mr. Saad Mohammad:
Openness, reforms.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage:
Look, this is a question that the people of Saudi Arabia have to answer. We've
had questions about religious freedoms, where Secretary Powell made some very
direct comments about all Saudi citizens should be able to take part in the
political process. But ultimately, what's important is not what's important to
Rich Armitage, but what's important to the people of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. They're going to have to make the decision on whether they're
satisfied or not.
Mr. Saad Mohammad:
Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage:
Thank you.
Click
here to read a complete transcript of Deputy Secretary Armitage's
remarks.
Source: U.S.
Department of State
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