Joint Press Briefing by Secretary Hagel and Minister Burgos in Chile

MINISTER JORGE BURGOS: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH).

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL: Minister Burgos; thank you. It's good to be with you again and I'm always grateful for an opportunity to get your input on some of the important issues facing both our countries, so thank you.

As Minister Burgos just noted, we finished a meeting with the President and the Foreign Minister a few minutes ago, which I also want to acknowledge and thank the President and the Foreign Minister and all involved in that for taking some of their privileged time on a Saturday to meet with me.

I know private time is very rare for leaders of government, so thank you very much for making some time for me and for all of your -- your team, who participated in the meetings as well.

Let me begin with noting that I had the privilege, as the Minister noted, of spending some time with him in Washington earlier this year.

That was an important time for me, because it gave me an opportunity to get a good sense and assessment of where Chile was on many issues; where we could further deepen our partnership, our relationship, as we face many of the same challenges that the world faces.

As Mr. Burgos mentioned, we're going to -- we're going to engage a number of those issues; global issues, not just American issues, but global issues at the conference in Arequipa, here on Monday, so thank you again for your efforts.

I might note that I have personally followed your country for many years, as a businessman, coming here many years ago as United States Senator, and I note this year is the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-Chile free trade agreement, which I was a strong advocate for when I was in the United States Senate and voted for it.

I recall, vividly, some of the debates during the Senate Formulations Committee on the issue. It was the right thing to do for Chile and the United States and I think the results have been very clear on that point.

As the Minister noted, today, in our meeting, we discussed many things; a wide scope of issues. We started with a particular focus on how we can intensify our defense cooperation to address these big issues.

The world is not getting any less complicated. The world is interconnected in was that we've never seen before. That presents tremendous opportunities and advantages for strong relationships and partnerships and good governance and law and order.

But it also presents new challenges as -- as well. I particularly wanted to note, and I mentioned this to the President during our meeting, that as Chile develops its relationships globally, in particular the relationships that you have developed in the partnerships in the Asia-Pacific area, your respect as a security exporter, the capacity, the techniques, is going to continue to be important in helping build defense capacities for other nations, as we partner together with other nations, as they will need more capacity to deal these threats, so your role in that has been particularly important, will continue, and we appreciate it.

I also want to note that, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, and I mentioned this, as you know, Minister, to the President this afternoon; Chile has played an important role in helping unify the international community against ISIL in Iraq and Syria and we appreciate Chile's leadership on that point.

Chile is also supporting the global response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and through trilateral programs, such as the Global Peace Operations initiative, we will continue to partner with Chile and Central American nations to deepen our security cooperation.

Minister Burgos and I also discussed Chile's peacekeeping leadership in Haiti, in Cyprus, the Middle East, South Asia, which shows Chile's interests extend far beyond the Americas.

As specific nations, with large and growing economies and economic interests in Asia, both Chile and the United States have a shared interest in the continued peace and prosperity and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.

This year, Chile's navy helped lead a major part of the Rim of the Pacific exercise. It's the world largest maritime exercise. This was a first for any South American nation. And as the Minister and I discussed, Chile could also share some of its other model defense capabilities to help promote stability further, in Asia-Pacific.

Even as we expand our cooperation in other regions, we remain committed to continued cooperation within our own hemisphere, because transnational security challenges, from climate change to ungoverned spaces, as well as effective responses to natural disasters requires the collaboration of all nations of the Americas.

In this context, the Minister and I discussed the enduring value of the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, which we will reunite at on Monday, and the importance of those conferences and the importance of the dialogue, the exchange of ideas and thinking.

And I underscore the United States' continuing support for Chile's leadership in the CDMA, in areas such as search and rescue cooperation, which Chile has exceeded many nations in this area and has become a model for other countries.

Minister Burgos and I also discussed the risks of climate change. Climate change is imposing our defense establishments, our national security, our economies and our ongoing cooperation to mitigate these risks; a subject that I will address in more detail at the CDMA conference in Peru on Monday.

We share the views that all nations of this hemisphere must approach our common security challenges in a spirit of partnership. As President Obama said here in Santiago a few years ago, "In the Americas today, there are no senior partners and there are no junior partners. There are only equal partners."

That was the spirit of the U.S.-Chilean partnership and I look forward to working with Minister Burgos, as we continue to strengthen that partnership, between our militaries, between our economies, between our governments and between our people.

Thank you.

(UNKNOWN): (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

Q: This question is for Secretary Chuck Hagel.

What assessment do you have about the last bombing event in Chile and what American experience can you give to our country?

SEC. HAGEL: Thank you.

Well, first, I conveyed the sympathy and best wishes and prayers to the President when I met with her a few minutes ago; extending those concerns and sympathies and prayers and thoughts to the families and the individuals who were injured in that bombing; the innocent citizens.

As to what the United States can do and is doing -- will do; as many of you know, some of our law enforcement agencies are working with the Chilean government and your law enforcement agencies, in helping investigate the incident. We'll continue to do that.

I assured the President of that today and I told her that we would continue to honor any other requests that she may have, or her government, to assist her government in this investigation.

This is another example of how partnerships are important, as we help each other with these different incidents.

Q: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

Mr. Secretary, first, you're head to Arequipa with the Minister and all the ministers will be speaking about - one of the issues will be climate change.

How does climate change and defense -- how do they relate? And second, on Iraq, leaders from Anbar Province today requested U.S. troops to stop ISIS. Can this be interpreted as a sign that Baghdad is in danger? Is Baghdad -- the security of Baghdad at risk?

(UNKNOWN): (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

MIN. BURGOS: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

SEC. HAGEL: Thank you.

On your first question; how does climate change relate to security? First, if you take just the one element of climate change, potential threats as sea levels rise; the coasts of countries, islands, present obvious security challenges for stability, security, national defense institutions.

When there is any natural disaster event that occurs, there always is some element of a security risk; law and order, individuals attempting to take advantage of those catastrophes, adjusting to shifts in security requirements.

A specific example that we see emerging is the Arctic. We see an Arctic that is melting, meaning that most likely a new sea lane will emerge. We know that there are significant minerals and natural deposits of oil and natural gas there. That means that nations will compete for those natural resources.

That's never been an issue before. You couldn't get up there and get anything out of there. We have to manage through what those conditions and new realities are going to bring in the way of potential threats.

So, those would be just some of the ways that climate change can and may well spill over into security issues and we are planning for that and I will address, specifically, some of those things at the CDMA.

On Baghdad and Anbar Province; the Iraqi security force are in full control of Baghdad, continue to strengthen their positions in Baghdad. We continue to help them with air strikes, with our assistance and our advisors, which I, at the direction of President Obama, added to our numbers there.

I think in Iraq, today, with our coalition partners, we are up around 300 air strikes; we'll continue with those airstrikes.

On your question regarding Anbar; did Anbar request specific help from the United States? We are helping the Iraqi security forces and I think I just explained how we are.

Thank you.

(UNKNOWN): (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

Q: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH).

SEC. HAGEL: Well, again, I think you're all very familiar with the Kobani situation. It is a situation where ISIL is threatening the town. We know ISIL is occupying parts of the outskirts of Kobani. It is a dangerous situation and we recognize that. We are doing what we can do, through our air strikes, to help drive back ISIL.

In fact, there has been some progress made in that area. But it is a very difficult problem and I would, once again, restate, which I have said, which President Obama has said; the effort to degrade and eventually destroy ISIL is a long-term effort.

This is difficult. It is complicated. It's going to require many factors and we are working now; coalition partners, a strong, stable, united Iraqi government, strong Syrian opposition forces, many factors to this. And it's going to take a while. It is not going to be fast, it is not going to be easy, and it's not going to be uncomplicated.

Thank you.

(UNKNOWN): (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

Q: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

MIN. BURGOS: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

SEC. HAGEL: Oh, I think the Minister satisfactorily answered one part of your question.

As to your first part, on what we're all doing; I think you're aware that the United States government has been leading an effort in Liberia, specifically, with money, with capacity. We have our USAID and Centers for Disease Control in charge.

The Pentagon continues to flow in more people, as we build a 25-bed hospital -- we're in the process of that; Ebola treatment units and training for those who will go in those units to give care to those infected. Ebola testing units; we're building those.

We have a division command headquarters have set up there. We have logistics centers set up. We have an air bridge set up. We just received authorization from the United States Congress to go forward with the requested $1 billion of funding to assist in all of this effort regarding Ebola in Liberia, so there's an awful lot being done.

(UNKNOWN): (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

Q: Secretary Hagel, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about how the negotiations were going with Turkey on the train-and-equip mission and how other negotiations were going on with other countries, extending that train-and-equip mission?

SEC. HAGEL: Bill, I spoke with General Allen on the way in here today; spent quite a bit of time with him to get a report from his meetings there. He had been sending readouts, which we've been getting, but I wanted to talk to him personally. He had just arrived back in Washington last night.

So, I say that at the beginning of my answer to give you some sense of what I was told is the current readout.

First, as you know, we'll have teams from European Command and Central Command there in Turkey, next week. They'll be spending a good deal next week, working with the Turkish General's staff and appropriate leaders, going through the specifics of Turkey's commitments to help the coalition specifically train and equip - areas of their contributions.

I'd just as soon leave that for the Turks to make those announcements on what they're going to do, which I think would be the responsible thing.

But I would answer your question further this way. There was considerable progress made by General Allen, specifically with Turkey.

On the question of other coalition partners, we continue to work with other coalition partners, as you know, and part of that is -- was a continuation of General Allen's meetings last week in other world capitals, especially in the Middle East.

But everybody is focused on that. The Department of Defense is; Secretary Kerry is. As you know, he's on his way to Cairo for meetings there. President Obama's directly involved in this; Vice President Biden, I am, General Dempsey, so we're making good progress.

Q: And another question...

(UNKNOWN): Just one question; thank you very much.

(UNKNOWN): Thank you very much.

SEC. HAGEL: Thank you.