State Department Noon Briefing

December 14, 2004
Yeah. David.

QUESTION: You may have to take these. I was looking for a readout from Mr. Armitage's meeting with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister yesterday and whether -- I understand that there is a ministerial-level Eritrean group in town and I'm wondering if there are plans to meet them. And c, Yamamoto was in Eritrea. I'm just wondering if there is any sort of U.S. move afoot to try to straighten out the problems there between Ethiopian and Eritrea.

MR. BOUCHER: It's been -- the problems between Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as our individual relationships with each of these places have been important matters for our diplomacy over time. The U.S. has always encouraged progress on the demarcation of the border, but we've also looked to make opportunities to move forward in our relationships. And that's essentially, I think, what Deputy Assistant Secretary Yamamoto was doing when he was in Eritrea.