Briefing Skipper: Clinton, Netanyahu, Honduras, North Korea

Posted By Josh Rogin Monday, September 21, 2009 - 10:36 PM Share

In which we scour the transcript of the State Department's daily presser so you don't have to. Here are the highlights of today's briefing by spokesman Ian Kelly:

Hillary Clinton had meetings in New York today with the foreign ministers of South Korea, Czech Republic, Turkmenistan, and Japan. Also meeting with the presidents of Costa Rica and Georgia and participate in a trilateral dialogue with Japan and Australia.

Obama's trilateral meeting Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly may not actually produce any results, but it will "advance our efforts towards our ultimate goal" and "it shows that [Obama] is personally engaged in the effort," Kelly said. The U.N. Security Council meeting will be the first at the head of state level in some time.

President Manuel Zelaya has returned to Honduras! "All I can say is reiterate our almost daily call on both sides to exercise restraint and refrain from any kind of action that would have any possible outcome in violence," said Kelly, adding "Of course, we believe that he's the democratic -- democratically elected and constitutional leader of Honduras." Senator Jim DeMint, R-S.C., disagrees.

No comment on reports that the State Department is sitting on 25 visa applications from Iran.

There are no plans to meet with the North Koreans in any way in New York this week and still no decision about whether Ambassador Stephen Bosworth will accept Kim Jong Il's invitation to travel there.

EXPLORE:IRAN, NORTH KOREA, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, STATE DEPARTMENT, UNITED NATIONS

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CATHSITTERDING

1:43 PM ET

September 22, 2009

Just wanted to say that I

Just wanted to say that I love reading the Briefing Skipper -- I used to actually try to skim the transcripts when I got them in my inbox. This is much better!

ANNAN AMOS

11:16 PM ET

September 25, 2009

I wonder if all these international relations meetings...

I wonder if all these meetings are going to do anyone any good whatsoever. I think every President since Eisenhower has had some sort of Palestinian/Israeli summit meeting of some sort, and look how much progress has been made - negative progress, when you get down to it.
A trilateral meeting between Australia and Japan? (Perhaps it could have been to improve the quality of American and Japanese rugby - actually, that doesn't really work, because the Wallabies blew it this year, and a trilateral meeting with South Africa would have been the ticket in that case.) Since it's friday, I believe I will arrange a Trilateral meeting between Beer, a Glass, and Me!
All these foreign relations meetings that the new administration is doing are great, and American felicity is something that should be spread worldwide - the founders recommended a stance of "friends and commerce with all, allies with none" which is incredibly sound, but it seem s a bit silly to be putting taxpayer funded payday loans when there are REAL problems that need solutions, right here at home.