http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2015/01/235630.htm
TRANSCRIPT:
12:47 p.m. EST
MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone.
QUESTION: Happy Tuesday.
MS. PSAKI: There are a lot of scarves in here. Is it cold in here? Okay, it’
s a theme.
I have two items at the top. On Indonesia, obviously, many of you have been
following the missing AirAsia flight. Some of you have covered this, but I
just wanted to give a brief update on our assistance given we haven’t
discussed that in here.
Ten days ago, we, of course, learned that the Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501
went missing. The United States offers condolences to the families and loved
ones of those who perished on the flight. Our thoughts and prayers continue
to be with those who await news on the passengers and crew who remain missing.
Indonesia continues to lead the search operation, and the United States has
been happy to offer support. As the Department of Defense has announced, the
U.S. Navy has offered ships, helicopters, sonar equipment, and small boats.
They have all contributed to the search efforts. In particular, the USS
Sampson and the USS Fort Worth are actively engaged with search activities in
close coordination with Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency. In
addition, Indonesia’s – Indonesian participants in the search effort are
recipients of training supported by funding from the State Department’s
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. This includes police
search and rescue, divers deployed to the site, who are trained under a
maritime law enforcement project. Indonesian laboratories being used for
victim identification have also received past law enforcement forensics
capacity building support.
Also on upcoming travel, Secretary Kerry will travel to Ahmedabad, India, on
January 10th to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit
inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Modi. The Secretary will join leading
U.S. business executives and innovators at the summit to highlight the
critical role that U.S. technology plays in supporting sustainable economic
growth across India and the Indo-Pacific region, as well as strengthening
trade and investment between the two countries. This is the first time the
United States will join the event as a partner country. Secretary Kerry may
travel to additional countries, but any other stops would be announced at a
later date.
With that, Matt.
QUESTION: Right. Yesterday, we had a rather lengthy exchange about Cuba.
MS. PSAKI: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: Not only on the political prisoners that are supposed to be
released but also on the dates for the upcoming trip and migration talks. So I
’m wondering if you can update us at all on either or both of those issues.
MS. PSAKI: I don’t have an update on the trip quite yet. We’re still
finalizing details for that. We hope to have that locked down in the coming
days.
In terms of prisoners, which you’re right we had a discussion on yesterday,
as Raul Castro indicated in his December 17th speech, the Cuban Government
made the decision to release these individuals as part of the discussions
with them. They will – this is a commitment that they made not just to the
United States but to the Vatican as well.
We will continue, of course, to urge the Cuban Government to follow through
on its commitment. They have already released some of the prisoners. We’d
like to see this completed in the near future. And certainly, that’s
something we’ll continue to discuss.
I’d also like to note that while we’re still finalizing the agenda for the
migration talks, we plan on discussing human rights issues directly with the
Cuban Government at the migration and normalization talks in Havana later
this month. And that will certainly be a topic. That continues to be a focus
of our discussion.
QUESTION: Okay. Is it correct that the release, though, while you would like
to see it happen in the near future, is not – doesn’t have to be done for
the – for Assistant Secretary Jacobson to go and actually have these talks?
MS. PSAKI: Correct. I would just like to emphasize this list is not to be
seen as the end of our discussion on human rights with the Government of
Cuba. It is part of certainly what we see as an important effort and a step
that the Cuban Government committed to, not just to us but to the Vatican,
and we’re, of course, encouraging them to continue to implement it. Some
have been released already.
QUESTION: Right. Well, I don’t think anyone’s saying it’s the end, but it
certainly is the beginning. And if they don’t even begin at the beginning,
then