ACCESSION NUMBER:217590 FILE ID:EP-509 DATE:02/28/92 TITLE:STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, FEBRUARY 28, 1992 (02/28/92) TEXT:*92022809.EPF *EPF509 02/28/92 * STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, FEBRUARY 28, 1992 (Cambodia, Burma, Korea) (460) News Briefing: State Department assistant spokesman Joe Snyder briefed. Following is an unofficial transcript of East Asia/Pacific excerpts: (begin unofficial transcript) CAMBODIA Q: Can I ask whether the US has any comment on the announcement about a Cambodia peacekeeping force of some, I think, almost 16,000 troops? Will the US participate in any way in that peacekeeping force either logistically or with personnel? SNYDER: The president's fiscal year 1993 budget requests an additional $350 million for fiscal year '92 and $350 million for fiscal '93 for new and anticipated peacekeeping requirements. A substantial portion of that would be for Cambodia. We're working closely with the UN Secretary and other members on this. We do expect to participate. Q: Financially? SNYDER: Financially and as well with logistics and I believe with personnel. BURMA Q: I want to ask you about Burma. Are we sending an ambassador to Burma? SNYDER: The president has nominated Parker Borg as our Ambassador to Burma -- 1: Uh-huh -- SNYDER: And I'm not quite sure where that stands in the confirmation process. Q: Regarding the Muslims that are being driven into Bangladesh, there have been reports that this may accelerate a great deal in the coming months. Is the United States concerned about this at all, and able to do anything about it? SNYDER: We are concerned, of course, with that situation. Are we able to do anything about it? I think that's difficult to say. We certainly have made our views known to the Burmese government. KOREA Q: Do you have any comment about the North and South Korean nuclear negotiations which ended yesterday in futility to improve any further steps? SNYDER: Yes. Yesterday's working level meeting was to discuss the formation of the Joint Nuclear Control Committee established under the North-South Non-Nuclear Agreement that came into force on February 19th. These working level talks will resume on March 3rd. I really wouldn't want to characterize the talks at this point. I would suggest you ask the Koreans themselves. Q: How about the Washington Post report this morning that North Korea has begun to remove any -- some heavy equipment, presumably of current nuclear facilities to conceal that (camp?)? Q: I don't have any specific comment on the details reported in that article. We don't comment on intelligence matters. I can say again, as we've said many times, that North Korea can only address international concern about its nuclear program by promptly ratifying its IAEA safeguards agreement, accepting inspections of all its nuclear facilities under that agreement, and by negotiating and implementing with ROK a credible bilateral inspection regime under their joint declaration. (end unofficial transcript) NNNN .